High-fructose corn syrup, also known as HFCS, is a sweetener processed from corn. HFCS has received quite a bit of attention for its negative health impacts; many researchers say it causes obesity, diabetes and so on. Let’s play devil’s advocate and try to show that high fructose corn syrup actually does have some health benefits…
Health Benefit 1: No Worse Than ‘Regular’ Sugar
Contrary to common belief, high fructose corn syrup may not have as much of a negative impact on weight gain than white sugar. At least there is not yet any scientific evidence to prove that theory. In fact, there are increasing cases of obesity and weight gain with decline in the use of HFCS. What does that say about its use? The National Center for Biotechnology Information published a study that stated “Based on the currently available evidence, the expert panel concluded that HFCS does not appear to contribute to overweight and obesity any differently than do other energy sources.”
Health Benefits 2: Flavoring for Healthy Foods
As with all other sugars, in moderation, high fructose corn syrup can be used in various foods and beverages to add texture, quality as well as boost their flavor, especially on healthy foods. For example, adding small amounts of HFCS to fruit that may be otherwise too tart to eat could make a more palatable way to increase your fiber intake, particularly for children.
Health Benefit 3: Same Metabolism as Sugar
While there have been unsubstantiated claim that high fructose corn sugar hinders the body’s ability to know when it is full, research has been shown that HFCS metabolizes no differently than normal sugar. “It is unclear why HFCS would affect satiety or absorption and metabolism of fructose any differently than would sucrose.”
Obviously, there are not many true health benefits to high fructose corn syrup. However, it doesn’t appear to be much worse than any other kind of sugar, aside from some nutrients found in honey.