High Fructose Corn Syrup Causes More Weight Gain Than Sugar

[EpyonXero]

http://www.princeton.edu/main/news/a.../S26/91/22K07/

A Princeton University research team has demonstrated that all sweeteners are not equal when it comes to weight gain: Rats with access to high-fructose corn syrup gained significantly more weight than those with access to table sugar, even when their overall caloric intake was the same.

In addition to causing significant weight gain in lab animals, long-term consumption of high-fructose corn syrup also led to abnormal increases in body fat, especially in the abdomen, and a rise in circulating blood fats called triglycerides. The researchers say the work sheds light on the factors contributing to obesity trends in the United States.

"Some people have claimed that high-fructose corn syrup is no different than other sweeteners when it comes to weight gain and obesity, but our results make it clear that this just isn't true, at least under the conditions of our tests," said psychology professor Bart Hoebel, who specializes in the neuroscience of appetite, weight and sugar addiction. "When rats are drinking high-fructose corn syrup at levels well below those in soda pop, they're becoming obese -- every single one, across the board. Even when rats are fed a high-fat diet, you don't see this; they don't all gain extra weight."


In results published online March 18 by the journal Pharmacology, Biochemistry and Behavior, the researchers from the Department of Psychology and the Princeton Neuroscience Institute reported on two experiments investigating the link between the consumption of high-fructose corn syrup and obesity.

The first study showed that male rats given water sweetened with high-fructose corn syrup in addition to a standard diet of rat chow gained much more weight than male rats that received water sweetened with table sugar, or sucrose, in conjunction with the standard diet. The concentration of sugar in the sucrose solution was the same as is found in some commercial soft drinks, while the high-fructose corn syrup solution was half as concentrated as most sodas.

The second experiment -- the first long-term study of the effects of high-fructose corn syrup consumption on obesity in lab animals -- monitored weight gain, body fat and triglyceride levels in rats with access to high-fructose corn syrup over a period of six months. Compared to animals eating only rat chow, rats on a diet rich in high-fructose corn syrup showed characteristic signs of a dangerous condition known in humans as the metabolic syndrome, including abnormal weight gain, significant increases in circulating triglycerides and augmented fat deposition, especially visceral fat around the belly. Male rats in particular ballooned in size: Animals with access to high-fructose corn syrup gained 48 percent more weight than those eating a normal diet. In humans, this would be equivalent to a 200-pound man gaining 96 pounds.

"These rats aren't just getting fat; they're demonstrating characteristics of obesity, including substantial increases in abdominal fat and circulating triglycerides," said Princeton graduate student Miriam Bocarsly. "In humans, these same characteristics are known risk factors for high blood pressure, coronary artery disease, cancer and diabetes." In addition to Hoebel and Bocarsly, the research team included Princeton undergraduate Elyse Powell and visiting research associate Nicole Avena, who was affiliated with Rockefeller University during the study and is now on the faculty at the University of Florida. The Princeton researchers note that they do not know yet why high-fructose corn syrup fed to rats in their study generated more triglycerides, and more body fat that resulted in obesity.


When male rats were given water sweetened with high-fructose corn syrup in addition to a standard diet of rat chow, the animals gained much more weight than male rats that received water sweetened with table sugar, or sucrose, along with the standard diet. The concentration of sugar in the sucrose solution was the same as is found in some commercial soft drinks, while the high-fructose corn syrup solution was half as concentrated as most sodas, including the orange soft drink shown here. (Photo: Denise Applewhite)
High-fructose corn syrup and sucrose are both compounds that contain the simple sugars fructose and glucose, but there at least two clear differences between them. First, sucrose is composed of equal amounts of the two simple sugars -- it is 50 percent fructose and 50 percent glucose -- but the typical high-fructose corn syrup used in this study features a slightly imbalanced ratio, containing 55 percent fructose and 42 percent glucose. Larger sugar molecules called higher saccharides make up the remaining 3 percent of the sweetener. Second, as a result of the manufacturing process for high-fructose corn syrup, the fructose molecules in the sweetener are free and unbound, ready for absorption and utilization. In contrast, every fructose molecule in sucrose that comes from cane sugar or beet sugar is bound to a corresponding glucose molecule and must go through an extra metabolic step before it can be utilized.

This creates a fascinating puzzle. The rats in the Princeton study became obese by drinking high-fructose corn syrup, but not by drinking sucrose. The critical differences in appetite, metabolism and gene expression that underlie this phenomenon are yet to be discovered, but may relate to the fact that excess fructose is being metabolized to produce fat, while glucose is largely being processed for energy or stored as a carbohydrate, called glycogen, in the liver and muscles.

In the 40 years since the introduction of high-fructose corn syrup as a cost-effective sweetener in the American diet, rates of obesity in the U.S. have skyrocketed, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In 1970, around 15 percent of the U.S. population met the definition for obesity; today, roughly one-third of the American adults are considered obese, the CDC reported. High-fructose corn syrup is found in a wide range of foods and beverages, including fruit juice, soda, cereal, bread, yogurt, ketchup and mayonnaise. On average, Americans consume 60 pounds of the sweetener per person every year.

"Our findings lend support to the theory that the excessive consumption of high-fructose corn syrup found in many beverages may be an important factor in the obesity epidemic," Avena said.

The new research complements previous work led by Hoebel and Avena demonstrating that sucrose can be addictive, having effects on the brain similar to some drugs of abuse.

In the future, the team intends to explore how the animals respond to the consumption of high-fructose corn syrup in conjunction with a high-fat diet -- the equivalent of a typical fast-food meal containing a hamburger, fries and soda -- and whether excessive high-fructose corn syrup consumption contributes to the diseases associated with obesity. Another step will be to study how fructose affects brain function in the control of appetite.

The research was supported by the U.S. Public Health Service.

[Particle Man]

um, duh. that's because they put that shit in EVERYTHING these days.

[AquaPython]

just more facts. that shit needs to be outlawed

[Switch]

Originally Posted by AquaPython

just more facts. that shit needs to be outlawed

Yeah right, that would be like the government going against itself. There are lots of incentives for doing all this crap with corn. There would be a lot of people out of business if they outlawed this.

The government is not responsible for making rules and laws to protect you from yourself. You have the information, you can control what goes in your body. If you think it's a serious health risk, then don't consume it. Pretty simple.

[Particle Man]

Originally Posted by AquaPython

just more facts. that shit needs to be outlawed

food companies finding cheap (and pretty much almost always) unhealthy alternatives to ingredients needs to be outlawed.

[Kaneman]

IMO, corn is a bigger source of health problems in America than Tobacco. Corn subsidies are out of control and like Prtcl said, EVERYTHING has fucking corn in it...even the meat you eat (unless you buy from a small farm or something).

Colbert actually did a bit about this the other day, showed some cat litter that is now made from 100% corn. "In America we have so much food we let our pets shit on it."

Check out "Food Inc." They have it on Netflix streaming, if you didn't already know where you food comes from you're not going to like what you see.

[AquaPython]

Originally Posted by Tennessee Stud

Yeah right, that would be like the government going against itself. There are lots of incentives for doing all this crap with corn. There would be a lot of people out of business if they outlawed this.

The government is not responsible for making rules and laws to protect you from yourself. You have the information, you can control what goes in your body. If you think it's a serious health risk, then don't consume it. Pretty simple.

well aware. take a look at King Corn, and Food, Inc. both amazing documentaries on the subject. The incentives, basically comprising of 60% of a farmer's (who grows corn) income was put in place with a historical food bill in the early 70's. It's all been put in place and continued to be protected by gov't officials , and lobbyists that were in execs in the industry. it's a giant stroke fest, and they are literally killing the country in the process of making a dishonest buck.
This is why the food bill needs to re-worked, and most of the bullshit needs to be brought to light and outlawed. I think in the same vein, Anybody at an official level in the gov't should have total financial transparency , so anyone can check and see if they are making profits where they should not be. too much goddam corruption.

[Kaneman]

Originally Posted by Tennessee Stud

The government is not responsible for making rules and laws to protect you from yourself. You have the information, you can control what goes in your body. If you think it's a serious health risk, then don't consume it. Pretty simple.

That's a nice sentiment, but it doesn't work that way in the real world. My wife and I have been trying, very diligently, to avoid processed foods and those made with corn. Even with me not working and having the time during the day to research and shop for healthy groceries, its nearly an impossible task. It would certainly be impossible (at least here in DFW) for a family where both parents work full-time.

See, its the government themselves that are responsible for this current predicament due to their agricultural policy. I agree that people need to be responsible for their own intake, and know where their food comes from....but unless you own and operate a working farm/ranch then you're shit out of luck.

[Kaneman]

That's two recommendations for Food Inc. Watch it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5eKYyD14d_0

[Switch]

I've seen Food Inc. a couple of times. It's a good doc.