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Is Corn Syrup a Culprit? By Kimberly A. PorrazzoPublished: August, 2004

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Editor's Note: This is part of a yearlong series, Defy Diabetes. Corn syrup has been identified as a possible factor in the staggering rise in the number of cases of type 2 diabetes. That sweet, thick liquid that you use to make pecan pies may seem like an ingredient that you rarely ingest - the bottle is probably stored in the recesses of your pantry. But in fact, it's in more food items than you would imagine. It can be found in baked beans, baby food and ketchup. Bread, pasta, beer and bacon may also contain the sticky stuff. From its original form, which is cornstarch, its glucose is converted to fructose and becomes incredibly sweet as it transforms to syrup. Corn syrup has quickly overtaken sugar and honey as America's favored sweetener because it's inexpensive to make, it tastes good and it's easily stored. And because it's everywhere, experts are beginning to see a correlation between corn syrup and the nation's diabetes crisis. According to the USDA, Americans consumed 1ž2 pound each of HFCS in 1970. Thirty years later they were guzzling 55.3 lbs. of the stuff. Perhaps not coincidentally, obesity rates among young people have more than doubled in the last 30 years. Biochemist William Whelan reported in a recent Los Angeles Times interview in which he discussed the use of corn syrup: "There isn't any doubt that obesity is on the rise, and it must be coming from somewhere." High-calorie, high-fat, high-carb foods have always been under scrutiny, but an ingredient as benign as corn syrup? In the book "Fast Food Nation: The Dark Side of the All-American Meal," author Greg Critser identifies corn syrup as an ingredient that has allowed the fast-food industry to serve up heftier portions without higher costs. Interestingly, fructose was once considered a safer alternative to white table sugar because it is derived from fruit. Now it has been linked to insulin resistance, high triglyceride levels and is thought, in large quantities, to predispose one to diabetes. While no one is suggesting other types of sweeteners are necessarily any better, it is noteworthy to point out that often we are consuming sugar in foods we don't expect contain it. Reading labels is a must. - Kimberly A. Porrazzo

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