There has been a huge body of research performed on the dangers of sugar and substantial research performed on the dangers of high fructose corn syrup, an artificial sugar processed from corn. However, until now, it has been unclear if one was actually worse than the other.
A new study performed by researchers at the University of Utah clarifies the issue significantly. Through experimentation with mice, the researchers found that female mice that were fed high fructose corn syrup had problems with reproduction, and shorter lifespans, compared to female mice fed an equivalent amount of table sugar.
According to the study’s senior author, Wayne Potts, “this is the most robust study showing there is a difference between high-fructose corn syrup and table sugar at human-relevant doses.”
For their experiment, researchers focused on two groups of mice. One group was given table sugar each day, in an amount comprising one quarter of their daily diet. The other group was given the same amount of high fructose corn syrup each day. This amount was considered to be comparable to how much sugar or high fructose corn syrup an average person may reasonably consume in a day.
This phase of the experiment lasted for 40 weeks. For the next phase, researchers placed the mice into six mouse barns, where they observed their competition for territory, food and reproductive partners for another 32 weeks.
Results of the study showed that female mice that were fed high fructose corn syrup “experienced a mortality rate 1.9 times the rate… and produced 26.4 percent fewer offspring than females initially fed sucrose [table sugar].”
Interestingly, no reproductive issues or shorter lifespans were observed in the male mice, leading researchers to suggest that in males, table sugar and high fructose corn syrup may have the same effect – though more research needs to be done to confirm this.
As we have previously reported, high fructose corn syrup is manufactured from genetically modified corn, with the addition of genetically modified enzyme. It has also been found to be at risk for mercury contamination… and that’s just the tip of the iceberg.
Unlike table sugar, high fructose corn syrup contains a chemically bonded, unbalanced ratio of glucose to fructose. This unstable structure leads to the body storing the fructose portion in the liver as fat.
High fructose corn syrup consumption has been previously linked to obesity, heart disease, type 2 diabetes and accelerated aging. Furthermore, it has been found to be highly addictive.
Bottom line: Sugar is evil, and the evidence shows that high fructose corn syrup may be even worse. Neither deserve a place in a healthy diet.
-The Alternative Daily
Sources:
http://jn.nutrition.org/content/early/2014/12/10/jn.114.202531.abstract
http://www.ksl.com/?nid=148&sid=33017116
http://unews.utah.edu/news_releases/fructose-more-toxic-than-table-sugar-in-mice
https://www.thealternativedaily.com/4-sugar-secrets-food-industry-keeping
https://www.thealternativedaily.com/7-sneaky-places-high-fructose-corn-syrup-hides
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0091305710000614
http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/79/4/537.short
