High Fructose Corn Syrup May Be Harmful: New Evidence

The food industry continues to insist that there is no difference between high fructose corn syrup (HCFS) and table sugar, but researchers at Rutgers University have a different opinion. They have found new evidence that soft drinks sweetened with (HFCS) cause tissue damage and may contribute to the development of diabetes, particularly in children. Chi-Tang Ho, Ph.D., and his colleagues conducted tests of eleven carbonated beverages containing HFCS. He found "astonishingly high levels of reactive carbonyls" in those beverages. These highly-reactive compounds associated with "unbound" fructose and glucose molecules are believed to cause tissue damage. Reactive carbonyls are not present in table sugar, whose fructose and glucose components are "bound" and chemically stable. The researchers state that reactive carbonyls are elevated in the blood of individuals with diabetes and are linked to the complications of the disease.

This study was reported at the 234th national meeting of the American Chemical Society. While we await further research, I will continue to recommend avoiding beverages sweetened with HFCS or any other sugars except during vigorous, prolonged exercise. More on high fructose corn syrup