High-fructose corn syrup drinks and asthma risk in adults
What it found
In adults followed over time, drinking more HFCS-sweetened soda, fruit drinks and apple juice was linked to higher asthma risk.
Diet soda and orange juice showed no such link.
What they found
Studies in people
Combined drinks and asthma
Increasing intake of any combination of HFCS-sweetened soda, fruit drinks and apple juice was linked to progressively higher asthma risk, plateauing at 5-7 times per week compared with never or seldom. This was independent of potential confounders.
HFCS-sweetened soda
About once a day consumers of HFCS-sweetened soda had a 49% higher risk of asthma compared with never or seldom consumers.
Apple juice
Moderate apple juice consumers (2-4 times per week) had a 61% higher risk of asthma compared with never or seldom consumers.
Fruit drinks
Moderate fruit drink consumers had a 58% higher risk of asthma compared with never or seldom consumers.
Diet soda and orange juice
There were no associations with diet soda or orange juice.
What the authors conclude
“Recommendations to reduce consumption may be inadequate to address asthma risk, as associations are evident even with moderate intake of these beverages, including apple juice - a 100 % juice.”
Also in their conclusions
- They say these associations are possibly because of the high fructose to glucose ratios and fructose malabsorption.
- They advise that recommendations to reduce consumption may be inadequate to address asthma risk, as associations are evident even with moderate intake of these beverages, including apple juice.
- They call for further research regarding the consequences of fructose malabsorption.
How it was done
Growing evidence links high-fructose corn syrup, HFCS-sweetened soda, fruit drinks and apple juice to asthma, possibly because of high fructose to glucose ratios and fructose malabsorption, which may lead to pro-inflammatory compounds that bind asthma-related receptors.
They used data from the Framingham Offspring Cohort to assess associations between intakes of these beverages and asthma risk. They included diet soda and orange juice for comparison.
What it can’t tell you
- We summarised it from the abstract only.
- This study followed people over time and can show a link, not cause and effect.
- It cannot prove that these drinks cause asthma.
Who paid
- Funding
- Funded by NHLBI NIH HHS (from the PubMed record).
- Authors work at
- University of Massachusetts Lowell, USA
The paper
- Title
- Excess free fructose, high-fructose corn syrup and adult asthma: the Framingham Offspring Cohort
- Type
- Study
- Evidence
- Studies in people
- Summarised from
- Abstract only
- Cite
- DeChristopher LR, Tucker KL (2018). Excess free fructose, high-fructose corn syrup and adult asthma: the Framingham Offspring Cohort. The British journal of nutrition. doi:10.1017/S0007114518000417PubMed 29587887DOI
Summary written 26 Sep 2026. Check it against the paper before it changes what you eat. How we summarise papers · Report an error