How corn syrup, sucrose and fructose are metabolized and their health effects
What it found
High-fructose corn syrup and table sugar produced nearly identical responses in blood sugar, insulin and appetite in people.
Pure fructose studies do not reflect how these sugars are normally eaten.
What they found
Studies in people
Corn syrup versus table sugar
In women of normal weight and in obese women, high-fructose corn syrup and table sugar caused virtually identical short-term changes in blood sugar, insulin, hunger hormones and appetite. Other researchers found the same results in both men and women.
Heart disease risk factors
In a trial of 352 overweight or obese adults eating up to the 90th percentile of typical fructose intake for 10 weeks, total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol did not change. Triglycerides rose by about 10% but stayed within the normal range.
Obesity link not supported
Use of high-fructose corn syrup in the United States has dropped over the past decade while obesity continued to rise. Worldwide, people consume 9 times more table sugar than high-fructose corn syrup, yet obesity rates are high in places that use very little of it.
Studies in people and animals
What happens to fructose
When the liver processes fructose, about 50% becomes glucose, 25% becomes lactate, and 15% to 18% becomes glycogen. Only 1% to 5% turns into fat, depending on the person's condition.
Other findings
Pure fructose versus glucose
Studies comparing pure fructose with pure glucose show different metabolic paths in the liver. However, people rarely eat either sugar alone, so the authors say these comparisons have limited use for everyday nutrition.
What the authors conclude
- They state there is no unique link between high-fructose corn syrup and obesity.
- They note a broad scientific agreement that high-fructose corn syrup and table sugar act the same way in the body.
- They advise caution when blaming these sugars for health problems at amounts people normally eat.
How it was done
A 2004 commentary suggested high-fructose corn syrup might uniquely drive obesity, sparking public confusion. The authors wanted to summarize what is actually known about how these sugars are processed by the body.
The authors reviewed existing research on sucrose, high-fructose corn syrup and fructose metabolism and health effects. They examined human trials, including their own work with 352 overweight or obese adults over 10 weeks. They also looked at population data and animal studies.
What it can’t tell you
- This is a review, so it summarizes other work rather than proving cause and effect itself.
- Studies that track populations over time can only show links, not causes.
- Trials using pure fructose at very high doses may not reflect what happens when people eat normal foods.
Who paid
- Conflicts
- Author disclosures: J. M. Rippe, consulting fees from ConAgra Foods, PepsiCo International, Kraft Foods, the Corn Refiners Association, and Weight Watchers International. T. J. Angelopoulos, no conflicts of interest.
- Authors work at
- University of Central Florida Medical School, USA
The paper
- Title
- Sucrose, high-fructose corn syrup, and fructose, their metabolism and potential health effects: what do we really know?
- Type
- ReviewThe authors read earlier studies and describe what they found. It isn’t a new study.
- Evidence
- Studies in people · animals · lab
- Summarised from
- Full text
- Cite
- Rippe JM, Angelopoulos TJ (2013). Sucrose, high-fructose corn syrup, and fructose, their metabolism and potential health effects: what do we really know?. Advances in nutrition (Bethesda, Md.). doi:10.3945/an.112.002824Free full textPubMed 23493540DOI
Summary written 30 Sep 2026. Check it against the paper before it changes what you eat. How we summarise papers · Report an error