I’m a skeptic and a bit of a contrarian especially when it comes to nutrition, exercise, and other matters of health. The human body is such a complicated machine that it is extremely difficult to come to any general conclusions without a lot of research. And most people (myself included) are not experts in these topics. It takes years of study, keeping up with 
literature and reading papers that have incredibly boring headlines. The bottom line is that it is difficult to know what to believe.
But I’m a curious sort too. I really do want to know what is true.
That’s why I found this article about high fructose corn syrup interesting. According to the publishers of the Journal of Nutrition scientists and bloggers are being asked to stop propogating myths about high fructose corn syrup. They say that the message that this ingredient is worse for you than sucrose or other sugars is just a myth. They also say that HFCS is not the cause of obesity.
Some other myths that these independent scientific experts attempted to refute.
1. High fructose corn sytup is the same as fructose. No it is not. Studies testing pure fructose are not readily applicable to high fructose corn syrup. HFCS is a blend of glucose and fructose. This is the same as simple sugar. HFCS and sugar are metabolized the same in your body.
2. Increased calories from high fructose corn syrup is causing obesity. No, it is not. The most likely cause is increased calorie consumption. The more calories you consume the more weight you will gain. It doesn’t matter if those calories are HFCS, sugar, honey, or fruit juice concentrate. Calories are calories.
I believe that to be healthy you need to eat healthy. Avoiding HFCS is not a bad idea because it is high in calories but there is nothing inherently wrong with the ingredient. It just encourages over eating, exactly the same way as sugar, honey or any other sweetener would.
Jogglers who weigh less, run slower. If you want to run faster and live longer then you need to eat less. Just don’t worry about HFCS because there is nothing more special about its calories compared to anything else.
Now, it’s time for me to get a candy bar.
Joggle on.
{ 6 comments… read them below or add one }
Perry,
Your explanation of obesity and high fructose corn syrup disturbs me. You stated this:
“Increased calories from high fructose corn syrup is causing obesity. No, it is not. The most likely cause is increased calorie consumption. The more calories you consume the more weight you will gain. It doesn’t matter if those calories are HFCS, sugar, honey, or fruit juice concentrate. Calories are calories.”
Yes, that is true, calories are simply just calories. But our bodies use those calories in very different ways. Lets take calories from a gallon of gasoline as an example. Would you attempt to drink a gallon of gas? I mean, after all, a gallon of gas is only just 31, 500 calories, and lets prove that indeed a calorie is just a calorie.
Drinking a gallon of gas would kill you, so no, I would not drink gas. Your body has biochemical mechanisms to digest fats, proteins, and carbohydrates. Not gasoline. But once they are digested, there is no difference. It is simply the amount that you ingest.
Hi Perry,
sadly I don’t see any date on this article neither on comments, (around 07/2012?) but I have to agree with Joseph. (However the gasoline example is very strong)
You are right in a few points BUT sugar, especially HFCS and high sweetness level sugars causing “addiction” – starving for more… because increased insulin levels, “pleasure in brain” increased blood pressure for a short time until our body tries to hide away that “rubbish-sugar” in your fat-cells. storing sugar for later use.
2nd point, calories are calories… right. BUT there is no nutrition value behind that calorie and whoever eats those “processed” foods will starve for nutritions, will stay hungry because Your body doesn’t check how many calories you gain, your body checks for minerals/vitamins/proteins and carbs. If You eat only processed foods what are 90% carbs, You will stay hungry even if You feel full in your stomach. Your brain knows.
So if You wish just take that candy, and go for a workout… but there are people outside who aren’t doing any exercise, eat at fast food restaurant, etc.
The other problem is they put sugars (HFCS and all other versions) to everything in these days. Hard to find anything in shops without sugar.
I prefer vegetables, can live perfectly without any sugar while people around me just eating without limits, gaining weight every month by eating “normal foods”.
Check out “Sugar – The Bitter Truth” on youtube.
Sorry for long comment, have a nice day!
The post is from July 2012. You pose an interesting hypothesis. Do you have any links to scientific studies to back it up? The scientists at the Mayo Clinic say “At this time, there’s insufficient evidence to say that high-fructose corn syrup is any less healthy than other types of sweeteners.”
I think you and I agree that the more calories you eat the more weight you will gain.
I SAY IF YOU THINK (HFCS) IS NOT A PROBLEM. WELL YOU NEED TO WATCH, SUGAR: THE BITTER TRUTH ON YOU TUBE. THEN SAY THE USA HAS NO PROBLEMS WITH IT.
Eating too many calories is the problem.