High fructose corn syrup and how the body handles it
What it found
In clinical trials in people, high fructose corn syrup and table sugar produced similar blood sugar, insulin and hunger signals.
High fructose corn syrup made up about 8.3% of daily calories in American diets.
What they found
Studies in people
How much people consume
Diet surveys showed this sweetener provided 189 kcal per person per day. That was 8.3% of total energy intake and 15.7% of total carbohydrates. All added sugars together made up 377 kcal per day, or 16.8% of calories.
Blood sugar and insulin
Clinical trials in people found that blood sugar levels and insulin responses were similar whether they consumed this sweetener or table sugar.
Hunger hormones
In trials with people, hunger ratings and levels of the hormones leptin and ghrelin were also similar between the two sweetener groups.
Blood fats after eating
One research group saw a sign that blood fats right after eating might have been higher in the group given this sweetener. The authors note more research is needed to confirm this and understand what it means.
Other findings
What it is made of
The main type used by food makers is about 55% fructose and 45% glucose. This makes it very similar in composition to regular table sugar.
What the authors conclude
- They say the body handles this sweetener much like table sugar, which matches their similar makeup.
- They advise that anyone managing their weight should focus on cutting back all sources of added sugars and extra calories.
- They hope these findings will help direct research resources toward changes that benefit people most.
How it was done
Rising obesity rates in the United States led some researchers to suggest a link with increased use of high fructose corn syrup by food makers. Very little research existed at the time to compare how the body processes this sweetener versus table sugar.
Researchers gathered findings from a 2007 symposium where speakers from universities and industry shared data on this ingredient. They looked at diet surveys showing how much Americans consume and reviewed clinical trials comparing its effects to table sugar in people.
What it can’t tell you
- This paper gathers results from different studies rather than running one single trial.
- The diet survey data can show how much people consume but cannot prove it causes weight gain.
The paper
- Title
- High-fructose corn syrup: everything you wanted to know, but were afraid to ask
- Type
- Study
- Evidence
- Studies in people
- Summarised from
- Full text
- Cite
- Fulgoni V (2008). High-fructose corn syrup: everything you wanted to know, but were afraid to ask. The American journal of clinical nutrition. doi:10.3945/ajcn.2008.25825AFree full textPubMed 19064535DOI
Summary written 30 Sep 2026. Check it against the paper before it changes what you eat. How we summarise papers · Report an error