High fructose corn syrup (HFCS) is one of the most misunderstood ingredients. It was developed in the mid-1960s as an alternative to sucrose, and because of its physical and functional properties, was widely embraced by the food industry. An increase in the prevalence of obesity in the United States led the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition to sound the alarm about the consumption of HFCS. However, as recently as 2019, studies have shown that there’s very little difference between HFCS and table sugar. For example, jam products are 42% HFCS. By contrast, table sugar is 50% fructose and honey is 49% — not a huge difference. HFCS was initially demonized when researchers claimed that the sweetener is converted to fat in the liver, which damages the organ and leads to obesity. However, scientists have debunked that theory, saying that an excess of any food would be converted to fat eventually. A major review of 155 studies showed that HFCS has no harmful effect on blood sugar and, therefore, doesn't increase the risk of diabetes. Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends that everyone limit consumption of all added sugars, including HFCS and sucrose. The bottom line: There is nothing inherently bad about HFCS.
