Comprehending that corn syrup

Published 5:00 am Tuesday, June 7, 2011

Q: What is the difference between regular corn syrup and high-fructose corn syrup?

A: Both types of corn syrup start the same way: Cornstarch is treated with an acid or an enzyme, turning it into glucose syrup. To make regular corn syrup — the kind found in supermarkets and used by home bakers for candies and frostings — manufacturers clarify and reduce glucose syrup until it’s the right consistency. High-fructose corn syrup is also made from corn-derived glucose syrup, but it requires additional chemical reactions that convert some of the glucose into fructose, creating a sweetener that contains both.

You won’t find high-fructose corn syrup on your grocer’s shelf or in any recipes. It’s used mainly in processed foods. In the 1970s, manufacturers began to replace table sugar, or sucrose, with the less expensive high-fructose corn syrup, which also works as a preservative. This means the ingredient isn’t limited to sweet treats such as soda, jam and candy. Many savory items, such as bread, crackers, tomato sauce, salad dressing and potato chips, list high-fructose corn syrup as an ingredient.

Some health experts link the rising rate of obesity and type 2 diabetes to the prevalence of high-fructose corn syrup in the American diet. Some even say that the way the body metabolizes one of the sugars it contains, fructose, leads to greater weight gain, among other health issues. As a result, high-fructose corn syrup has a reputation for being even more harmful than table sugar. In fact, both contain similar amounts of fructose and glucose, and the way the body processes high-fructose corn syrup and sucrose is nearly identical.

The American Medical Association has said that high-fructose corn syrup doesn’t appear to contribute more to obesity than other caloric sweeteners, but that additional independent research on its long-term health effects is needed. Of course, too much sugar in any form adds empty calories to your diet and sets the stage for potential health problems.