Glucose syrup
What the research shows
Unclear
the research on this page hasn’t settled it
A syrup made from starch, often from corn, potatoes or wheat.
It sweetens foods, softens texture and adds volume.1
What research says
Studies in people
-
Open question
Blood cholesterol levels2
In men, swapping table sugar for glucose syrup for a year lowered cholesterol, but triglycerides rose in those who gained weight.
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.
References
- 1Glucose syrup. Wikipedia. Accessed September 26, 2026. CC BY-SA 4.0.
- 2Lock S, Ford MA, Bagley R, Green LF. The effect on plasma lipids of the isoenergetic replacement of table sucrose by dried glucose syrup (maize-syrup solids) in the normal diet of adult men over a period of 1 year. Br J Nutr. 1980;43(2):251-6. doi:10.1079/bjn19800088