By Brierley Wright, M.S., R.D., Nutrition Editor, EatingWell
Magazine The debate over whether high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS)
is really worse for you than sugar is always popular and heated.
Full disclosure: based on the available research, I usually land
on the side that says there really is no difference. A sugar is
a sugar is a sugar. Metabolic studies have shown that our bodies
break down and use HFCS and sugar (sucrose) the same way. (Are
you wondering what’s so bad about high-fructose corn syrup
anyway? Find out here.) But then I saw this new study —
published online recently in the journal Metabolism — that
suggests for the first time that there is a (slight) difference
in the way the body processes HFCS and sugar. Why does it
matter? Fructose is metabolized by the body differently compared
to glucose and other sugars — and thus may pose a greater health
risk by affecting your appetite and your heart health. (Learn
which six surprising sources of sugar you should watch out for.)
In the study, researche