According to FDA, it typically has 42 percent or 55 percent fructose, and the rest glucose and water. 1. For instance, you may have heard that high-fructose corn syrup is bad for you and might wonder whether that's because the fructose is "artificial" as opposed to "natural." Similarly, honey and beet or cane sugar (sucrose) are about 50/50 fructose and glucose. It’s a losing battle.”. There's a significant focus in the popular media on the role of fructose in health. "American Journal of Clinical Nutrition"; Consumption of High-Fructose Corn Syrup in Beverages May Play a Role in the Epidemic of Obesity; George Bray, et al; April 2004. A sweet food additive derived from corn via a series of enzymes, acids and other chemicals that extract the starch from the corn, convert it to glucose and then convert some glucose to fructose. We get a lot of readers writing in to ask us whether or not a product containing High Fructose Corn Syrup can be labeled as “natural” or “all natural.” … Is it OK for high fructose corn syrup-containing products to carry a natural label? Other studies suggest that the manufacturing process may leave trace levels of mercury in HFCS. One common source of fructose is fruit, but you will also find fructose chemically bonded to glucose to make sucrose, which is the chemical name for table sugar. Here are 6 reasons why consuming large amounts of high-fructose corn syrup is bad for your health. Adds an unnatural amount of fructose to your diet. Most "artificial" fructose — which might more appropriately be called industrially-produced fructose — comes from using enzymes to convert glucose into fructose. Manufactured mostly from genetically modified corn, high fructose corn syrup is definitely not natural and definitely not healthy. As far as the natural products industry is concerned, the lawsuits alone are good reason to stay far away from this ingredient, says attorney Todd Harrison of Venable LLP. Web page addresses and e-mail addresses turn into links automatically. “I think that very few people would agree that high fructose corn syrup, even if it is made from a non-GMO source, is natural. 5@5: US adult obesity rate surpasses 40% | Family of deceased Publix employee sues chain, 3 essential keynotes from virtual expo Spark Change. FDA: High fructose corn syrup is not 'corn sugar'. Lines and paragraphs break automatically. Number 8860726. Fructose is a sugar closely related to the more common sugar glucose. Similarly, a 2004 study in the "American Journal of Clinical Nutrition" by Dr. George Bray and colleagues suggests that increased fructose consumption could play an important role in the rising rate of obesity in industrialized countries 2. She has a Bachelor of Science in zoology, a Bachelor of Science in psychology, a Master of Science in chemistry and a doctoral degree in bioorganic chemistry. But HFCS defenders are quick to point out that despite its unfortunate name, HIGH fructose corn syrup actually has less fructose in it than many natural fruit-based sugars and about the same amount as sucrose. High fructose corn syrup just happens to make up a significant part of the sugar market because of government subsidies for corn that result in HFCS being extremely cheap for manufacturers to use as a sweetener, and because it is sweeter than other types of sugars, less needs to be used, saving manufacturers even more money. Many studies suggest fructose, especially in large quantities, is not a healthy component of diet. Why did the hemp CBD market stagger through 2020? “I think that very few people would agree that high fructose corn syrup, even if it is made from a non-GMO source, is natural… Since the 2004 paper and ensuing public outcry, numerous papers have debunked the idea that HFCS is uniquely to blame for obesity. "Natural" fructose, which occurs in foods, is made by the cells in those foods in the same way; it's converted over from glucose. Chances are all of us have consumed high fructose corn syrup at some point in our lives, whether knowingly or unknowingly. Like sugar, HFCS has 16 calories per teaspoon, but it costs 20 percent to 30 percent less. One major difference between naturally-occurring and industrially-produced fructose is that the former is not found in nature in high concentrations, while the latter is added to most processed foods, making it pervasive and difficult to avoid, potentially leading to some of its role in promoting obesity. Here we explore the question: Is high fructose corn syrup natural? Why? Registered in England and Wales. While there's mounting evidence to suggest that high-fructose corn syrup isn't a healthy sweetener, it is not because the fructose in the corn syrup is industrially-produced that makes it a problem; eating large quantities of naturally-produced fructose would have the same effect. “HFCS and sugar are equally harmful.” Some studies do suggest that high fructose intake can boost visceral deep belly fat (a particularly hazardous type of fat) and interfere with hormones that control satiety. They have the same chemical formula — C6H12O6 — and both taste sweet. This site is operated by a business or businesses owned by Informa PLC and all copyright resides with them. “That’s an urban myth,” states the Center for Science in the Public Interest. For instance, ScienceDaily.com reports that fructose-containing drinks can increase triglyceride levels, which isn't heart-healthy 1. Explore our complete list of "Is it natural?" ingredients. The lawsuits tend to be based not on health concerns but rather on the presence of GMOs and a manufacturing process that plaintiffs say is anything but natural. It noted that the “digestion, absorption and metabolism of fructose differ from those of glucose” in a way that might promote hunger and more weight gain.