Connections in High-Fructose Corn Syrup and Obesity

Princeton University’s research team conducted a study that linked obesity with consumption of high-fructose corn syrup.  High-fructose has been in the market for over 40 years.  According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention:

In 1970, 15% of the U.S. population has met the definition for obesity and currently around 30% are considered obese.

Many foods, common in an American diet contain high-fructose corn syrup.  Foods such as: fruit juice, soda, candy, cough syrup, cereal, pastries, yogurt, ketchup and mayonnaise.  Many fast food restaurants also utilize high-fructose corn syrup in their foods.  Here is a list of fast food restaurants that use high-fructose corn syrup.

Bart Hoebel states:

“When rats are drinking high-fructose corn syrup at levels well below those in soda pop, they’re becoming obese — every single one, across the board. Even when rats are fed a high-fat diet, you don’t see this; they don’t all gain extra weight.”

The study tested male rats given sweetened water with high-fructose corn syrup and a diet of rat chow compared to rats given sweetened water with table sugar and the same rat chow diet.  The results revealed that the rats with the high-fructose diet gained significantly more weight than the rats with a table sugar diet.

Their second experiment was to study the long term effects of high-fructose corn syrup consumption over a period of six months.  The tests showed that rats on a high-fructose corn syrup diet had signs of a dangerous condition known as metabolic syndrome and gained 48% more weight than those eating a normal diet.

Original Article: Princeton Research High-Fructose Corn Syrup and Obesity