Obesity in America has come to be known worldwide as the epidemic of the western world. Though the fast food industry has been the patsy of many lawsuits regarding uncontrollable weight gain, the culprit may actually be the 32 oz cola rather than the burger and fries. The most common sweetener used in soft drinks and other non-diet beverages is high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) a mixture of glucose and fructose. HFCS has taken the place of sweeteners such as glucose, for two reasons: fructose is more readily supplied by corn, America’s most prevalent crop, and pound for pound HFCS tastes sweeter than glucose. Sounds great right? A smaller amount of HFCS provides the same sweet sensation that we get from an equal amount of pure glucose, thus HFCS provides more sweetness for less calories. This is true but fructose doesn’t play the same ballgame that glucose does in the body.
The Concordia Neurochemistry class focused on the role leptin and insulin play in obesity, and the results were concerning to say the least. The article under investigation clarified HFCS’s potential role in increased weight gain through an improper biological response to the sugar. Even though they both taste sweet, fructose and glucose are fundamentally different. Glucose is extremely important to our natural energy production. Glucose is transported into the cells of our body as a result of elevated insulin levels. Cellular glucose intake means increased energy production.
Fructose does not play the same role as glucose. Fructose actually bypasses the transport into the cells and goes straight to the liver, where the liver then transforms the fructose into a precursor to triglycerides (fatty molecules).
So regarding obesity in America, much of it can likely be attributed to our excessive intake of HFCS through soft drinks and processed foods. In addition to the fat producing effects of HFCS, it does not merit the same spike in insulin levels that glucose does, so we don’t realize that we are full. The absence of insulin levels while consuming food that is high in HFCS can lead to overeating which lends itself to an energy surplus, thus we gain weight. The positive correlation between fructose and weight gain is impressively strong.
In conclusion, all sugars are not equally processed. Indeed overconsumption of any calories will lead to weight gain, however, considering that HFCS is immediately converted into a fat precursor, it is advisable to opt for foods that are primarily sweetened with glucose.
Obesity and HFCS: Where are Nader’s Raiders Now?
