When it comes to sweeteners understanding the facts is important. There has been a lot of discussion recently about High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS) and table sugar. Here are some key facts on the two sweeteners.
High Fructose Corn Syrup versus table sugar
The makeup of HFCS and table sugar (sucrose) is nearly identical and the body metabolizes the two sweeteners in the same way.
- Both contain glucose and fructose
- Sugar contains glucose and fructose bonded together
- HFCS contains glucose and fructose, separated
- Once consumed, the human body quickly splits the sugar’s bond in the intestine and the glucose and fructose are then processed the same as those in HFCS.
HFCS is not high in fructose
- HFCS comes in two compositions
- HFCS-42 which contains 42% fructose and 58% glucose
- HFCS-55 which contains 55% fructose and 45% glucose
- Sugar contains 50% fructose and 50% glucose
Replacing one type of sugar with another sugar is not a solution to obesity
According to Health Canada, no one single food or beverage can be held responsible for weight gain.
In fact, the Canadian government looked at fats, carbohydrates (sugars), protein and fibre in the diet and concluded that “it is not what you eat, but rather, how much – the total number of calories consumed – that significantly contributes to obesity”.
Final Note
What is important to remember is that sugar is sugar, and like all foods and beverages, it should be consumed in moderation.
To see how HFCS’ composition stacks up against other sweeteners, visit: http://sweetsurprise.com/comparing-hfcs-and-other-sweeteners