A True Comparison of Processed vs ‘Natural’ Sugars

Abstract

Sugar can be found in many different forms, and today in many parts of the world, including the Americas and Europe, most of it comes from three sources: sugar cane, sugar beets, and corn. The sugar from cane and beets is in the form of sucrose (table sugar), which is a disaccharide containing equal parts glucose and fructose. High fructose corn syrup is the sugar derived from the modification of corn starch, also containing glucose and fructose. Many food manufacturers prefer to use corn syrup because it’s cheaper and easier to use, but HFCS has recently been under attack. Opponents claim that it is artificial, unnatural, and that fructose consumption is harmful. Nutritionally speaking, cane sugar and HFCS are nearly identical. Sucrose is made up of 50% fructose and 50% glucose, and the most commonly used grades of HFCS also contain approximately equal parts fructose and glucose. HFCS 55 contains 55% fructose and 45% glucose, and HFCS 42 contains 42% fructose and 58% glucose U.S. FDA, [1,2]. In many cases, HFCS actually contains less fructose than cane sugar.