High-fructose corn syrup prompts considerably more weight gain

[ramses (imported)]

High-fructose corn syrup prompts considerably more weight gain

March 22nd, 2010 in Medicine & Health / Health

A Princeton University research team, including undergraduate Elyse Powell, psychology professor Bart Hoebel, visiting research associate Nicole Avena and graduate student Miriam Bocarsly, has demonstrated that rats with access to high-fructose corn syrup -- a sweetener found in many popular sodas -- gain significantly more weight than those with access to water sweetened with table sugar, even when they consume the same number of calories. The work may have important implications for understanding obesity trends in the United States. Credit: Princeton University, Office of Communications, Denise Applewhite

A Princeton University research team has demonstrated that all sweeteners are not equal when it comes to weight gain: Rats with access to high-fructose corn syrup gained significantly more weight than those with access to table sugar, even when their overall caloric intake was the same.

In addition to causing significant weight gain in lab animals, long-term consumption of high-fructose corn syrup also led to abnormal increases in body fat, especially in the abdomen, and a rise in circulating blood fats called triglycerides. The researchers say the work sheds light on the factors contributing to obesity trends in the United States.

"Some people have claimed that high-fructose corn syrup is no different than other sweeteners when it comes to weight gain and obesity, but our results make it clear that this just isn't true, at least under the conditions of our tests," said psychology professor Bart Hoebel, who specializes in the neuroscience of appetite, weight and sugar addiction. "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."

In results published online March 18 by the journal Pharmacology, Biochemistry and Behavior, the researchers from the Department of Psychology and the Princeton Neuroscience Institute reported on two experiments investigating the link between the consumption of high-fructose corn syrup and obesity.

The first study showed that male rats given water sweetened with high-fructose corn syrup in addition to a standard diet of rat chow gained much more weight than male rats that received water sweetened with table sugar, or sucrose, in conjunction with the standard diet. The concentration of sugar in the sucrose solution was the same as is found in some commercial soft drinks, while the high-fructose corn syrup solution was half as concentrated as most sodas.

The second experiment -- the first long-term study of the effects of high-fructose corn syrup consumption on obesity in lab animals -- monitored weight gain, body fat and triglyceride levels in rats with access to high-fructose corn syrup over a period of six months. Compared to animals eating only rat chow, rats on a diet rich in high-fructose corn syrup showed characteristic signs of a dangerous condition known in humans as the metabolic syndrome, including abnormal weight gain, significant increases in circulating triglycerides and augmented fat deposition, especially visceral fat around the belly. Male rats in particular ballooned in size: Animals with access to high-fructose corn syrup gained 48 percent more weight than those eating a normal diet. In humans, this would be equivalent to a 200-pound man gaining 96 pounds.

"These rats aren't just getting fat; they're demonstrating characteristics of obesity, including substantial increases in abdominal fat and circulating triglycerides," said Princeton graduate student Miriam Bocarsly. "In humans, these same characteristics are known risk factors for high blood pressure, coronary artery disease, cancer and diabetes." In addition to Hoebel and Bocarsly, the research team included Princeton undergraduate Elyse Powell and visiting research associate Nicole Avena, who was affiliated with Rockefeller University during the study and is now on the faculty at the University of Florida. The Princeton researchers note that they do not know yet why high-fructose corn syrup fed to rats in their study generated more triglycerides, and more body fat that resulted in obesity.

High-fructose corn syrup and sucrose are both compounds that contain the simple sugars fructose and glucose, but there at least two clear differences between them. First, sucrose is composed of equal amounts of the two simple sugars -- it is 50 percent fructose and 50 percent glucose -- but the typical high-fructose corn syrup used in this study features a slightly imbalanced ratio, containing 55 percent fructose and 42 percent glucose. Larger sugar molecules called higher saccharides make up the remaining 3 percent of the sweetener. Second, as a result of the manufacturing process for high-fructose corn syrup, the fructose molecules in the sweetener are free and unbound, ready for absorption and utilization. In contrast, every fructose molecule in sucrose that comes from cane sugar or beet sugar is bound to a corresponding glucose molecule and must go through an extra metabolic step before it can be utilized.

This creates a fascinating puzzle. The rats in the Princeton study became obese by drinking high-fructose corn syrup, but not by drinking sucrose. The critical differences in appetite, metabolism and gene expression that underlie this phenomenon are yet to be discovered, but may relate to the fact that excess fructose is being metabolized to produce fat, while glucose is largely being processed for energy or stored as a carbohydrate, called glycogen, in the liver and muscles.

In the 40 years since the introduction of high-fructose corn syrup as a cost-effective sweetener in the American diet, rates of obesity in the U.S. have skyrocketed, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In 1970, around 15 percent of the U.S. population met the definition for obesity; today, roughly one-third of the American adults are considered obese, the CDC reported. High-fructose corn syrup is found in a wide range of foods and beverages, including fruit juice, soda, cereal, bread, yogurt, ketchup and mayonnaise. On average, Americans consume 60 pounds of the sweetener per person every year.

"Our findings lend support to the theory that the excessive consumption of high-fructose corn syrup found in many beverages may be an important factor in the obesity epidemic," Avena said.

The new research complements previous work led by Hoebel and Avena demonstrating that sucrose can be addictive, having effects on the brain similar to some drugs of abuse.

In the future, the team intends to explore how the animals respond to the consumption of high-fructose corn syrup in conjunction with a high-fat diet -- the equivalent of a typical fast-food meal containing a hamburger, fries and soda -- and whether excessive high-fructose corn syrup consumption contributes to the diseases associated with obesity. Another step will be to study how fructose affects brain function in the control of appetite.

Provided by Princeton University

"High-fructose corn syrup prompts considerably more weight gain." March 22nd, 2010. www.physorg.com/news188480002.html

March 22nd, 2010 in Medicine & Health / Health

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A Princeton University research team, including (from left) undergraduate Elyse Powell, psychology professor Bart Hoebel, visiting research associate Nicole Avena and graduate student Miriam Bocarsly, has demonstrated that rats with access to high-fructose corn syrup -- a sweetener found in many popular sodas -- gain significantly more weight than those with access to water sweetened with table sugar, even when they consume the same number of calories. The work may have important implications for understanding obesity trends in the United States. Credit: Princeton University, Office of Communications, Denise Applewhite

A Princeton University research team has demonstrated that all sweeteners are not equal when it comes to weight gain: Rats with access to high-fructose corn syrup gained significantly more weight than those with access to table sugar, even when their overall caloric intake was the same.

In addition to causing significant weight gain in lab animals, long-term consumption of high-fructose corn syrup also led to abnormal increases in body fat, especially in the abdomen, and a rise in circulating blood fats called triglycerides. The researchers say the work sheds light on the factors contributing to obesity trends in the United States.

"Some people have claimed that high-fructose corn syrup is no different than other sweeteners when it comes to weight gain and obesity, but our results make it clear that this just isn't true, at least under the conditions of our tests," said psychology professor Bart Hoebel, who specializes in the neuroscience of appetite, weight and sugar addiction. "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."

In results published online March 18 by the journal Pharmacology, Biochemistry and Behavior, the researchers from the Department of Psychology and the Princeton Neuroscience Institute reported on two experiments investigating the link between the consumption of high-fructose corn syrup and obesity.

The first study showed that male rats given water sweetened with high-fructose corn syrup in addition to a standard diet of rat chow gained much more weight than male rats that received water sweetened with table sugar, or sucrose, in conjunction with the standard diet. The concentration of sugar in the sucrose solution was the same as is found in some commercial soft drinks, while the high-fructose corn syrup solution was half as concentrated as most sodas.

The second experiment -- the first long-term study of the effects of high-fructose corn syrup consumption on obesity in lab animals -- monitored weight gain, body fat and triglyceride levels in rats with access to high-fructose corn syrup over a period of six months. Compared to animals eating only rat chow, rats on a diet rich in high-fructose corn syrup showed characteristic signs of a dangerous condition known in humans as the metabolic syndrome, including abnormal weight gain, significant increases in circulating triglycerides and augmented fat deposition, especially visceral fat around the belly. Male rats in particular ballooned in size: Animals with access to high-fructose corn syrup gained 48 percent more weight than those eating a normal diet. In humans, this would be equivalent to a 200-pound man gaining 96 pounds.

"These rats aren't just getting fat; they're demonstrating characteristics of obesity, including substantial increases in abdominal fat and circulating triglycerides," said Princeton graduate student Miriam Bocarsly. "In humans, these same characteristics are known risk factors for high blood pressure, coronary artery disease, cancer and diabetes." In addition to Hoebel and Bocarsly, the research team included Princeton undergraduate Elyse Powell and visiting research associate Nicole Avena, who was affiliated with Rockefeller University during the study and is now on the faculty at the University of Florida. The Princeton researchers note that they do not know yet why high-fructose corn syrup fed to rats in their study generated more triglycerides, and more body fat that resulted in obesity.

High-fructose corn syrup and sucrose are both compounds that contain the simple sugars fructose and glucose, but there at least two clear differences between them. First, sucrose is composed of equal amounts of the two simple sugars -- it is 50 percent fructose and 50 percent glucose -- but the typical high-fructose corn syrup used in this study features a slightly imbalanced ratio, containing 55 percent fructose and 42 percent glucose. Larger sugar molecules called higher saccharides make up the remaining 3 percent of the sweetener. Second, as a result of the manufacturing process for high-fructose corn syrup, the fructose molecules in the sweetener are free and unbound, ready for absorption and utilization. In contrast, every fructose molecule in sucrose that comes from cane sugar or beet sugar is bound to a corresponding glucose molecule and must go through an extra metabolic step before it can be utilized.

This creates a fascinating puzzle. The rats in the Princeton study became obese by drinking high-fructose corn syrup, but not by drinking sucrose. The critical differences in appetite, metabolism and gene expression that underlie this phenomenon are yet to be discovered, but may relate to the fact that excess fructose is being metabolized to produce fat, while glucose is largely being processed for energy or stored as a carbohydrate, called glycogen, in the liver and muscles.

In the 40 years since the introduction of high-fructose corn syrup as a cost-effective sweetener in the American diet, rates of obesity in the U.S. have skyrocketed, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In 1970, around 15 percent of the U.S. population met the definition for obesity; today, roughly one-third of the American adults are considered obese, the CDC reported. High-fructose corn syrup is found in a wide range of foods and beverages, including fruit juice, soda, cereal, bread, yogurt, ketchup and mayonnaise. On average, Americans consume 60 pounds of the sweetener per person every year.

"Our findings lend support to the theory that the excessive consumption of high-fructose corn syrup found in many beverages may be an important factor in the obesity epidemic," Avena said.

The new research complements previous work led by Hoebel and Avena demonstrating that sucrose can be addictive, having effects on the brain similar to some drugs of abuse.

In the future, the team intends to explore how the animals respond to the consumption of high-fructose corn syrup in conjunction with a high-fat diet -- the equivalent of a typical fast-food meal containing a hamburger, fries and soda -- and whether excessive high-fructose corn syrup consumption contributes to the diseases associated with obesity. Another step will be to study how fructose affects brain function in the control of appetite.

Provided by Princeton University

"High-fructose corn syrup prompts considerably more weight gain." March 22nd, 2010. www.physorg.com/news188480002.html

[Rusty Dai (imported)]

I have no doubt related to these findings. Just take a quick look around at how many really large people there are. I have my own cravings for food that make it very hard to control and keep my weight down.

I would suggest that we also look at how much soda pop was consumed in the 50s and 60s compared to now.

As I was growing up, my brother, sister and I did not have soda pop in our home on a regular basis. It was for a special occasion and typically soda was only served when we went to visit our grandparents. Soda was considered very expensive also.

The bottle then was only 6 ounces (coke, 7-up). Now the cans are 12 ounces, and the other "single serving" bottles are 20 ounces, but clearly labeled that it is in fact 2.5 servings in small print. Most fast food places "super size" or offer customers the ability to re-fill the drink on their own.

The grocery store isle containing soda pop has also grown, not only larger containers, but so many more choices.

[Paolo]

I've been saying this for years.

Thanks for posting it.

HFCS is in damn near everything, and when I cut it out, along with other junk carbs, I lost 60 lbs. And I've kept it off - on a high fat/high protein diet with low carb intake.

[ramses (imported)]

The sad thing is that this is being pushed on our children at the tune of 60 pounds per year. Fruit juices, candies, colas, fruit snacks, gummy candies and the list goes on.

The obesity epedmic very closely corelates to the commercial use in the US food supply. I don't generally get into politicizing food choices but I think this is one thing that affects the health of the nation to a point that we either need to tax HFCS to a point that makes real sugar a cost effective option or we need to start banning it like we have trans fats in many places.

This is going to infuriate "Big Corn" and they will fight it. Corn is about the most unhealthy plant products on the planet (and I enjoy it on the cob, corn chips, corn bread, corn flakes, corn nuts, corn tortillas) but it is a natural junk food that is probably better off used as fuel.

BTW, most farm raised fish are fed corn (talapia, sea bass, catfish) and it turns the fish from a healthy meal high in Omega 3 fatty acids that reduce inflamation in the body to an unhealthy food that is high in Omega 6 fatty acids that increase inflamation in the body. Bummer because I love talapia and farm raised catfish.... grrrrrr!

[Dave (imported)]

Going on 40 years ago when I was in college, I was told by doctors that if I didn't take care of my kidneys I would die young. I don't drink soda pop or anything carbonated like that. I drink weak iced tea with very little sugar or I drink water.

When they banned saccharin and went to cyclamates, a friend of mine who was a full professor in Pharmacology warned me off them as bad for my kidneys. So I had two reasons to stay away from sodas and soft drinks and pop and all that stuff.

A few years after that, I developed an allergy to corn and corn derived products. That stuff not only runs through me, it veritably gallops like a herd of horses (to use the old joke). Now, I avoid HFCS. I read every label I buy looking for it.

If you don't need artificial stuff, avoid it at all costs.

[DavidB (imported)]

"

A Princeton University research team, including undergraduate Elyse Powell, psychology professor Bart Hoebel, visiting research associate Nicole Avena and graduate student Miriam Bocarsly

"

I am all for natural sugar, but have to question this study, it doesnt seem to have the credentials behind it, who was the research Professor?

[Arab Nights (imported)]

I am not quite sure how this fits in, but I and several other people I know do get bigger when returning to the US. My joke is that two days after returning, I quit farting and loose a belt notch. But - it is amazing how quick that fills out if you don't really discipline yourself. I know one guy who had been happily working in Madagascar, enjoying the food, etc. The job ended, he came back and quickly added 70 pounds. I do not know exactly what goes on, but I do know that a lot of people quickly really gain when back on American food.

[ramses (imported)]

"

A Princeton University research team, including undergraduate Elyse Powell, psychology professor Bart Hoebel, visiting research associate Nicol

e Avena and graduate student Miriam Bocarsly

"

I am all for natural sugar, but have to question this study, it doesnt seem to have the

credentials behind it, who was the research Professor?

"

In results published online March 18 by the journal Pharmacology, Biochemistry and Behavior, the researchers from the Department of Psychology and the Princeton Neuroscience Institute reported on two experiments investigating the link between the consumption of high-fructose corn syrup and obesity.

" This is peer reviewed research. I think this definately need more follow up research so we can follow up with public health policy.

[Paolo]

David,

Why don't you do your own experiment and increase your consumption of HFCS for about 60 days and let us know the results?

[ramses (imported)]

He may end up like that guy that ate 3 meals a day at McDonalds for a month and get really sickly. It's no wonder that Metabolic Syndrome, type 2 diabeties and obesity are at epedemic proportions right now. I bet we could save billions on healthcare by simply banning that crap.

Would raising the price on a soda or twinkie by a penny by switching to real sugar be a bad thing? Sounds like a better solution than just trying to tax it and create another sin tax and govt. income stream.