CORN SYRUP

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Corn syrup, known as glucose syrup outside Canada and the United States, is a syrup made from corn starch and composed mainly of glucose. A series of three enzymatic reactions is used to convert the corn starch to corn syrup. It is used to sweeten soft drinks, ice cream, ketchup, some breads, and many other mass-produced foods. Its liquid form keeps foods moist and prevents them from quickly spoiling. In many areas, it is less expensive than sucrose (table sugar) due to agricultural policy; for example, the United States subsidizes corn syrup production while imposing tariffs on sugar imports.

High-fructose corn syrup

High fructose corn syrup (HFCS) is a newer and sweeter form of corn syrup made from corn starch in an enzymatic process developed in the 1970s. By increasing the proportion of fructose, a syrup is produced which is more comparable to an ordinary sugar (sucrose) syrup in its ratio of fructose to glucose and in its sweetness. This makes it useful to manufacturers as a substitute for ordinary sugar (sucrose) in soft drinks and other consumer goods. 

A University of Minnesota study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition in 2000 found that fructose "produced significantly higher fasting plasma triacylglycerol values than did the glucose diet in men". The researchers, led by J.P Bantle, concluded that "If plasma triacylglycerols are a risk factor for cardiovascular disease, then diets high in fructose may be undesirable.

Dangers of corn syrup

HFCS in beverages seems to have the effect of stimulating the appetite rather than reducing it. This effect coupled with the pure caloric content of beverages with HFCS may be a cause of obesity.

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