Corn syrup

Studies in people

• No harm found

  Obesity blame²

  High-fructose corn syrup is no more to blame for obesity than other sweeteners, and no link was found worldwide.

• Concern

  Hunger after overeating³

  In people, eating lots of corn syrup left them hungrier the next morning than eating whole-wheat foods.

• Concern

  Asthma risk from sweet drinks⁴

  In adults, drinking more high-fructose corn syrup-sweetened soda, fruit drinks or apple juice was linked to higher asthma risk.

• Open question

  Weight gain and obesity⁵

  High-fructose corn syrup use rose sharply as obesity rose, but whether corn syrup causes weight gain is not proven.

• Open question

  Sugar metabolism comparison⁶

  High-fructose corn syrup and sucrose seem to affect the body the same way, though some heart questions are still debated.

• Concern

  Blood fats after meals⁷

  High-fructose corn syrup raised blood fats after meals in people, similar to pure fructose.

• Concern

  Blood sodium levels⁹

  People who drank more corn syrup sweetened soft drinks tended to have higher sodium levels in their blood.

• Concern

  Lung health in adults¹⁰

  Adults who drank non-diet soft drinks with corn syrup often had chronic bronchitis, but this link is not proof of cause.

• Concern

  Sugary drinks and arthritis¹¹

  Young adults who often drank corn syrup sweetened soft drinks were more likely to have arthritis.

Animal and lab studies only

• Concern

  Colon cancer risk¹³

  In animal studies, high-fructose corn syrup raised colon tumor risk, but resistant starch in the diet reduced it.

• Concern

  Memory and brain development¹⁴

  In young rats, high-fructose corn syrup changed a brain gene tied to memory, but not in adult rats.

How it’s made and used

• Blood sugar response⁸

  In studies, high-fructose corn syrup and sucrose had similar blood sugar and insulin responses.

• Reading food labels¹²

  In a survey of 254 shoppers, about one in four did not pay attention to corn syrup in ready-made foods.

The signal at the top counts the findings in people and in animal and lab studies. A concern in studies of people outranks animal and lab studies, and “No concerns” needs at least one finding in people. When most findings in people point one way, the page leans that way (“Mostly”), and every finding is still shown. Findings whose study type is not stated are shown but not counted. This page is a reference, not medical advice. It describes what regulators and published research say. Talk to a doctor or dietitian about your own diet.