High Fructose Corn SyrupAlex Huhn

CBE 555

How It’s Made

Starch isolated from corn through physical separations

Starch is acidified and treated with enzymes to reduce to glucose syrup

Glucose syrup is sent through filters and purifying processes

Glucose is isomerized to fructose

Chemical Structures of Sugars

Glucose

Cyclic hexose sugar, source of energy in glycolysis

Fructose

Constitutional isomer (same formula, different molecular shape) of glucose

Sucrose (table/cane/beet sugar)

50% fructose, 50% glucose

Fructose and glucose linked by glycosidic bond

High Fructose Corn Syrup

42% fructose (58% glucose) or 55% fructose (45% glucose)

Fructose and glucose unbound in solution

Why Do We Consume HFCS?

Sweetness

Replacement for fat

Taste loss in low-fat products

fixed by addition of HFCS

Corn subsidies create surplus

Begun around 1970 by Nixon

Makes corn syrup incredibly cheap relative to table sugar

Extends shelf life of products

Glucose Metabolism

Glucose not used in cells is sent to liver (right)

Most glucose is stored as glycogen for future energy

Small amount of glucose undergoes de novo lipogenesis

Insulin triggers in presence of glucose

Tells brain to stop eating

Fructose Metabolism

All fructose is sent to liver

Uric acid increases, leading to higher blood pressure

No glycogen storage means more de novo lipogenesis

Insulin is not activated and ghrelin is not suppressed, ultimately contributing to increased appetite

References

Slide 2

http://sweetsurprise.com/

Slide 3

http://drhyman.com/blog/2011/05/13/5-reasons-high-fructose-corn-syrup-will-kill-you/

Slide 4

http://www.corn.org/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/kernel.jpg

Slide 6

http://www.wisdom-square.com/images/relativesweetnessofsugars.jpg

http://www.theguardian.com/business/2012/jun/11/why-our-food-is-making-us-fat

Slides 7-8

“Sugar: The Bitter Truth” : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dBnniua6-oM