I turned on my computer and saw a headline across the screen:

"Corn syrup producers want a sweeter name: corn sugar."

Curious, I clicked … and saw that the Corn Syrup Refiners Association is considering a name change because of all the negative press they’ve received recently, with some blaming high fructose corn syrup for the obesity epidemic. 

Apparently consumption of HFCS is at a 20 year low amidst the growing health concerns and obesity epidemic.

Will a name change matter — will "corn sugar" be viewed more favorably than "high fructose corn syrup?"  And, at the end of the day, whatever they decide to call it — is high fructose corn syrup making you fat?

We’ve talked about this before, but this recent news brought it to light again … let’s take a look at the actual science.

You may have seen the commercials by the Corn Industry saying high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) is no worse than other added sugars.

On the flip side, some scientists and nutrition experts have been screaming at the top of their lungs that HFCS causes weight gain and is partly responsible for the obesity epidemic.

Well another study is out that’s receiving a ton of attention.

"High-fructose corn syrup causes characteristics of obesity in rats: Increased body weight, body fat and triglyceride levels"

Here’s a quick summary.  HFCS is an added sugar that is used by many food and beverage companies because it’s cheap and easy to use in beverages because it’s liquid.

Well, interestingly, the boom of HFCS use matches very closely to the increase in the obesity epidemic over the last few decades.

But while some research made the correlation between HFCS and obesity, most has shown mixed results.  However, all the negative press obviously has the Corn Refiners Association looking for a lifeline since intake is at a 20 year low and major soft drink and sports drink companies finding alternatives for their products.

Is the panic necessary?  The current study looked at both the short and long term effects of HFCS on weight, fat, and triglycerides in male and female rats.

The first study was 8 weeks long and the male rats were separated into 3 groups:

The first group was maintained for 12 hours/day on a diet made up of 8% HFCS and unlimited amounts of "chow."

The second was maintained for 12 hours/day on 10% sucrose (table sugar) and unlimited chow.

The third was was maintained for 24 h/day with HFCS with unlimited chow

And the fourth — chow alone.

They found that rats with 12-h access to HFCS gained significantly more body weight than the rats in the table sugar group.

What’s important, though, is that they both ate the same number of overall calories.

In the longer term part of this study, rats were fed these diets for 6 or 7 months and they found that the male and female rats with access to HFCS gained more body weight, fat and had higher levels of triglycerides than those in the other groups.

Mohr Results Bottom Line:

We’re not fans of ANY added sugars — sucrose to HFCS (even if they do change the name to corn sugar), organic turbinado to brown rice syrup. 

At the end of the day, though, is one WORSE than the others?

This one study shows it may be — but after looking at the study, I’m not too impressed with the design and methods.  We’re still not convinced that HFCS is worse than other added sugars from a weight loss standpoint.  And we’re not convinced that HFCS is the cause of the obesity epidemic — that being said, the foods that it’s most prevalent in, though, surely play a role:

    * Soft drinks
    * Fruit juices/cocktails
    * Most other sweetened foods

It’s even in "common" foods like ketchup, so read food labels carefully!

Take Home: if a food as added sugar (any type) as one of the first 3 ingredients, leave it on the shelf.

Stay tuned on the HFCS debate as more will surely be uncovered.  And whether it keeps its name of High Fructose Corn Syrup or tries to go incognito with "Corn Sugar" — at the end of the day, it’s still an added sugar.

Is high fructose corn syrup making you fat? 

We've talked about this before, but a brand new study that was just published is bringing this topic to light again.

You may have seen the commercials by the Corn Industry saying high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) is no worse than other added sugars.

On the flip side, some scientists and nutrition experts have been screaming at the top of their lungs that HFCS causes weight gain and is partly responsible for the obesity epidemic.

Well a brand new study is out that's receiving a ton of attention. 

"High-fructose corn syrup causes characteristics of obesity in rats: Increased body weight, body fat and triglyceride levels"

Here's a quick summary.  HFCS is an added sugar that is used by many food and beverage companies because it's cheap and easy to use in beverages because it's liquid.

Well, interestingly, the boom of HFCS use matches very closely to the increase in the obesity epidemic over the last few decades.

But while some research made the correlation between HFCS and obesity, most has shown mixed results.

However, the currents study looked at both the short and long term effects of HFCS on weight, fat, and triglycerides in male and female rats.

The first study was 8 weeks long and the male rats were separated into 3 groups:

The first group was maintained for 12 hours/day on a diet made up of 8% HFCS and unlimited amounts of "chow."

The second was maintained for 12 hours/day on 10% sucrose (table sugar) and unlimited chow.

The third was was maintained for 24 h/day with HFCS with unlimited chow

And the fourth — chow alone.

They found that rats with 12-h access to HFCS gained significantly more body weight than the rats in the table sugar group. 

What's important, though, is that they both ate the same number of overall calories.

In the longer term part of this study, rats were fed these diets for 6 or 7 months and they found that the male and female rats with access to HFCS gained more body weight, fat and had higher levels of triglycerides than those in the other groups.

What's the moral of the story?

We're not fans of ANY added sugars — sucrose to HFCS, turbinado to molasses.  At the end of the day, though, is one WORSE than the others?

This one study shows it may be — but after looking at the study, I'm not too impressed with the design and methods.  We're still not convinced that HFCS is worse than other added sugars.  And we're not convinced that HFCS is the cause of the obesity epidemic — that being said, the foods that it's most prevalent in, though, surely play a role:

• Soft drinks
• Fruit juices/cocktails
• Most other sweetened foods

It's even in "common" foods like ketchup, so read food labels carefully!

Take Home: if a food as added sugar (any type) as one of the first 3 ingredients, leave it on the shelf. 

Stay tuned on the HFCS debate as more will surely be uncovered.

There are over 30 names for sugar…

…turbinado sugar, raw sugar, agave syrup, fruit paste, raw honey, malt syrup and many more.

Of course we have our organic sugars too.  Are these any better if we’re trying to lose weight?  Ray from train2befit asked a question on the blog about the healthiest sugar options.

Is there such a thing?  A "healthy" sugar?

Clearly, when burning belly fat is a goal, sugar (all forms) need to take a back seat.  But let’s put a few of these under the microscope to see if there’s a best of the worst.  Afterall, with teens eating nearly 100 lbs of sugar per person, per year, we have some headway to make.  It should be no surprise that research shows belly fat has skyrocketed in this age group.

But adults aren’t much behind.  And the obesity epidemic we’re facing around the world is a tell tale sign that we’re overfed, yet undernourished. 

Let’s get to the good stuff.

First, just because something is organic, doesn’t mean it’s healthy.  Organic sugar isn’t a magical health food like it’s often considered.  It increases belly fat just like plain old table sugar.

Let’s cover a few of the most commonly questioned poisins in the fight against belly fat.

High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS)

This one was invented in the 1970′s.  It’s in nearly every food and beverage in the super market — from breads to ketchup, fruit juice to cereals.  Some have claimed it’s caused obesity saying, this one sweetener is preventing us from losing belly fat permanently.  Interestingly, its use has skyrocketed the same way the obesity epidemic has over the last few decades.  And research has suggested there is a correlation.  This caused a negative spiral of media ads pointing the finger at this one ingredient.

And the Corn Refiners Association fought back.  They created commercials saying that HFCS is no worse than sugar.  What they didn’t say is both are junk, why eat them at all?

My first "problem’ with HFCS is that it was "invented."  I don’t want to eat anything that was "invented." I want to eat foods as close to the ground as possible.  You can avoid HFCS, just like you can avoid other sugars.  Sure, it is metabolized a bit differently than sugar, but you know what, the foods that are loaded with HFCS are junk — regardless of the form of sugar.  Soda = junk.  Fruit juice cocktails = junk. Popsicles = junk.  If you buy organic options of these same foods, they’re all junk and will prevent you from losing belly fat, put a halt to losing fat from your hips and thighs, or getting into your skinny jeans.  

Agave Syrup

This natural sweetener recently became popular.  Agave nectar is produced from a plant and is popular in organic markets and with vegans.  It is touted for its low glycemic index, meaning it won’t cause much of a spike in blood sugar.  But no studies are available showing how it compares to other sugars in terms of blood sugar control.  It is primarily made up of fructose, which is in fact lower on the glycemic index.  One important note – if you try this, look for USDA-certified organic products. Most agave comes from Mexico and there have been issues with recalls because of excessive pesticides in the products. 

Raw Honey

Often sold at Farmer’s Markets, supporters of this sweetener love that it’s not processed.  Me too.  And because it’s not processed, it IS higher in a few nutrients (mainly B vitamins).  With that said, honey wouldn’t be my first choice for getting in any vitamins and minerals.  I DO like that you can use less of it than table sugar because teaspoon for teaspoon, it’s sweeter.  There’s also some very interesting data showing eating local honey may reduce allergies, it can be used as an anticeptic, and much more.  (NOTE: I don’t recommend pouring it on an open wound).

But in the end, will too much honey prevent you from getting the body of your dreams and slashing belly fat?  Sure, it’s still empty calories when you compare it side by side with fruit, for example (which also is high in a form of sugar, but nothing I’d worry about).

Where does that leave us?

All sugars have relatively the same number of calories per gram.

Organic sugars will still prevent you from losing belly fat.  Non organic sugars will prevent you from losing belly fat. 

If you are going to use a sweetener, opt for local honey and use it sparingly.  Still, the best way to eat foods is in their natural state — fruit is sweet, enjoy that as dessert.  Grill it to bring out the sweetness.  Add balsamic vinegar to a pan and heat it up to create a calorie free "syrup" that’s great with fruit. Avoid foods with ingredients that have been "invented" — the closer to the ground they are, the better off you will be.

In the end, burn belly fat by eating foods with few ingredients and training right.

What do you think?  Leave your thoughts in the comment section.