High Fructose Corn Syrup-Sweetened Sodas Contain Compounds that May Raise Risk of Diabetes

Note from Connie: It seems like every couple of months (at least) we keep learning about more alarming news and new research studies relating to the potential dangers of the ubiquitous sweetener high fructose corn syrup. Now Jennifer Moore updates us about a study from Rutgers University.

Rutgers University food scientist Chi-Tang Ho, Ph.D. took eleven popular sodas sweetened with HFCS to a lab, and found that they all contain "astonishingly high" levels of compounds called reactive carbonyls. He presented his findings at the recent meeting of the American Chemical Society.

What’s so bad about these reactive carbonyls? They are often found in the blood of diabetics and may cause cell and tissue damage linked to the disease, according to Health Day.

Interestingly, Ho says that table sugar doesn’t contain reactive carbonyls (though there are plenty of other reasons to avoid it, too, as Connie amply demonstrates in her book SUGAR SHOCK!). Big Soda uses HFCS instead of sugar because it’s sweeter and cheaper.

Soda isn’t the only drink that concerns Ho.

"I worry about kids in high school," Ho told Health Day.

"They rely on energy drinks to do their homework and stay awake. The level of [HFCS] is so high."

Maybe this will be less of a problem as more schools boot soda and
other HFCS-laden drinks off campus. But kids can still buy the stuff in
stores before or after school.

What’s more, it’s tough to avoid HFCS, because it’s commonly found
in solid foods such as breads and other packaged or canned foods, which
Connie tells us about in SUGAR SHOCK!

I wonder if solid foods sweetened with HFCS are high in reactive carbonyls, too.

Interesting yet worrisome stuff.

Jennifer Moore for SUGAR SHOCK! Blog