High Fructose Corn Syrup and Cancer

5 Replies to “High Fructose Corn Syrup and Cancer”

1. I don’t buy that HFCS is a dangerous chemical. Any association between it and obesity, diabetes etc has got to be due to people consuming absurd numbers of calories (which processed food does make easier) while never exercising. Have you come across papers that presented real evidence to the contrary?

   The comparison quoted between HFCS and tobacco is silly. I didn’t read the article, but I’m very skeptical of a study that simply poured either glucose or fructose into a dish of cancer cells and expects it to generate realistic results…

2. Hi Matt,

   I do agree with a lot of what you say, except I also think HFCS is not healthy to eat.

   You’re right, glucose poured over cancer cells in a petri dish does not make a scientific study. I do think their results mean further investigation is needed.

   Unfortunately, this kind of scientific research is very political and can take a long time. For example, in 1964 warning labels appeared on cigarette packages, but it wasn’t until the mid 1990s that scientific research confirmed tobacco was both addicting and carcinogenic, and only after an industry insider leaked critical information. Until then, the tobacco companies could just deny this saying there was no proof.

   So in the meantime, while we wait for good and reliable science, glucose in a dish of cancer cells is all we have to go on.

   I also agree with you that HFCS by itself is probably not the true problem, but rather the amount consumed by people. However, as long as there are few alternatives, the majority of sweetened foods in the US contains it and there is heavy marketing to go along with it, I don’t think you can blame the people who eat it.

   There was at least one study I read about recently on the BBC that looked at childhood obesity. It’s conclusion was the connection between childhood obesity and lack of exercise was an issue of cause and effect. If you eat the wrong foods, you get fat, and when you are fat it’s harder to exercise. It doesn’t work the other way around.

   It’s important to start life with the right foods, and scolding or punishing your child in order to make them exercise more won’t do anything other than make them grow up with an eating disorder. I also think this is very much true of people in general who are obese or have diabetes, it’s not their habits or choices that are to blame, but rather the food that’s available to them is making them sick.

3. Interesting, thanks for the info

4. A few years ago it was widely used as a bee feed in the States, until it was found to be seriously bad for them. I can’t remember whether it was all HFCS that affected them, or just HFCS made by a particular process.

5. Hi Robert,

   A few years ago HFCS contained a lot of mercury as a by-product of the way it was made. They’ve since changed this and it doesn’t contain mercury anymore. Maybe this was the problem.