..HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP..!!

Although the corn industry claims that HFCS contains only

slightly more fructose than table sugar, it is actually made with an ingredient that is 90 percent fructose

High-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) is a popular

sweetener because it is chemically different

from sugar—it has a longer shelf life and

mixes better into beverages. Yet the corn

industry likes to play down these differences,

pointing out that sugar is 50 percent fructose

and 50 percent glucose, while HFCS is 55

percent fructose and 45 percent glucose.

This framing glosses over an essential

difference: sugar (sucrose) is a disaccharide

composed of a single glucose molecule and a

single fructose molecule. HFCS, in contrast,

is a liquid solution composed of separated

individual glucose and fructose molecules

(monosaccharides). To make HFCS, a 100

percent glucose solution is converted via

enzymes into a 42 percent fructose-58 percent

glucose solution. This solution is further

treated until it is 90 percent glucose, then

mixed with more 42-58 solution to yield a 55-

45 concentration. So while the final ratio of

fructose to glucose might look similar to table

sugar, it is in fact a very different product. Is it

any wonder that HFCS is processed differently

by the body?