GMO Case Study: High Fructose Corn Syrup
High fructose corn syrup was initially introduced to the general public in the 1970s as a common sweetener in American soft drinks. Its use was to replace more expensive natural sweeteners, with a less expensive, sweeter alternative. The process by which HFCS is created begins genetically modified corn and results in an altered corn syrup product, rich in fructose.
The Process
The corn is first harvested and milled to create cornstarch, which is then processed to create corn syrup. Then, the corn syrup is given enzymes that change the syrup, which is primarily glucose, into a substance that is higher in fructose. The graph below shows this process simply.
The varying final products, HFCS 55 and HFCS 42, are used for different food products. The numbers following HFCS indicate the percentage of fructose in the corn syrup.
Uses and concerns
The uses of HFCS are not limited to soda, in fact, they are included in many foods and drinks, including cereals, yogurts, salad dressings, candy bars, and baked goods. The effects of HFCS on the body, and the possibility that this lone ingredient has helped increased the obesity rates in the US since its introduction in the 1970s has been widely debated. Since the 1970s, obesity rates have more than doubled from roughly 15% of all adults in the United States to 32%, the rise of which can be seen on the graph to the right. Though it is certain that this increase is not merely due to the introduction of HFCS, it is an unhealthy component of many foods and drinks in the United States, which has not helped these levels.
The Process
The corn is first harvested and milled to create cornstarch, which is then processed to create corn syrup. Then, the corn syrup is given enzymes that change the syrup, which is primarily glucose, into a substance that is higher in fructose. The graph below shows this process simply.
The varying final products, HFCS 55 and HFCS 42, are used for different food products. The numbers following HFCS indicate the percentage of fructose in the corn syrup.
Uses and concerns
The uses of HFCS are not limited to soda, in fact, they are included in many foods and drinks, including cereals, yogurts, salad dressings, candy bars, and baked goods. The effects of HFCS on the body, and the possibility that this lone ingredient has helped increased the obesity rates in the US since its introduction in the 1970s has been widely debated. Since the 1970s, obesity rates have more than doubled from roughly 15% of all adults in the United States to 32%, the rise of which can be seen on the graph to the right. Though it is certain that this increase is not merely due to the introduction of HFCS, it is an unhealthy component of many foods and drinks in the United States, which has not helped these levels.
This graph shows the rise of obesity in adult Americans, starting in 1986
A study performed by scientists at the Princeton University in New Jersey on rats has shown some frightening effects of a common food and drink ingredient, high fructose corn syrup. In their study, the scientists provided rats with equal doses of food and either high fructose corn syrup or simple table sugar, or sucrose. Over a six-month period of time, it was evident that the effects of the processes corn syrup had caused an exponentially higher rate of obesity among rats than the sugar had. But how could this be, provided that the amounts of sugar were equal to that which one would find in a soft drink, and the amounts of high fructose corn syrup were nearly half?
Implications and Results
The researchers in this study suggest two possible reasons for this extraordinary fat increase resulting from HFCS consumption. The first possibility is the fact that HFCS has a disproportionate amount of fructose and glucose, which means that not all of the fructose molecules are paired to glucose molecules, which is the case with sucrose. Due to this chemical unbalance, the free or unbound fructose molecules can be used or absorbed directly, whereas the process to metabolize sucrose is more complicated because it requires the breaking down of pairs.
Furthermore, it has been postulated that high consumption of fructose leads humans to circulate less insulin in the body, which prevents the body from feeling satiated, and thus leaves people hungrier although they have already consumed enough. This insulin insensitivity then leads to overeating, which provides yet another connection between obesity and HFCS.
The rats tested in this study grew to levels that the scientists considered obese, and noted that they were showing increased in body fat primarily around the abdomen, and increased levels of triglycerides. Miriam Bocarsly, a graduate student working on this project, noted, “In humans, these same characteristics are known risk factors for high blood pressure, coronary artery disease, cancer and diabetes.” The scientists believe that the HFCS is being absorbed as fat right away, unlike sucrose, which is stored as a carbohydrate in the body. Although the researchers are uncertain about how the fructose is stored, they did observe that there was a definite difference in the appetite and metabolism of these rats (Princeton study).
A study performed by scientists at the Princeton University in New Jersey on rats has shown some frightening effects of a common food and drink ingredient, high fructose corn syrup. In their study, the scientists provided rats with equal doses of food and either high fructose corn syrup or simple table sugar, or sucrose. Over a six-month period of time, it was evident that the effects of the processes corn syrup had caused an exponentially higher rate of obesity among rats than the sugar had. But how could this be, provided that the amounts of sugar were equal to that which one would find in a soft drink, and the amounts of high fructose corn syrup were nearly half?
Implications and Results
The researchers in this study suggest two possible reasons for this extraordinary fat increase resulting from HFCS consumption. The first possibility is the fact that HFCS has a disproportionate amount of fructose and glucose, which means that not all of the fructose molecules are paired to glucose molecules, which is the case with sucrose. Due to this chemical unbalance, the free or unbound fructose molecules can be used or absorbed directly, whereas the process to metabolize sucrose is more complicated because it requires the breaking down of pairs.
Furthermore, it has been postulated that high consumption of fructose leads humans to circulate less insulin in the body, which prevents the body from feeling satiated, and thus leaves people hungrier although they have already consumed enough. This insulin insensitivity then leads to overeating, which provides yet another connection between obesity and HFCS.
The rats tested in this study grew to levels that the scientists considered obese, and noted that they were showing increased in body fat primarily around the abdomen, and increased levels of triglycerides. Miriam Bocarsly, a graduate student working on this project, noted, “In humans, these same characteristics are known risk factors for high blood pressure, coronary artery disease, cancer and diabetes.” The scientists believe that the HFCS is being absorbed as fat right away, unlike sucrose, which is stored as a carbohydrate in the body. Although the researchers are uncertain about how the fructose is stored, they did observe that there was a definite difference in the appetite and metabolism of these rats (Princeton study).
David Stein, Stephen Nehlig, and Regan Nelson