# High fructose corn syrup ads **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 30, 2008, 8:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/high-fructose-corn-syrup-ads/470226 "2008-10-30T08:47:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Triskadecamus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b19c9b/32.png) [@Triskadecamus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Triskadecamus)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2008, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/high-fructose-corn-syrup-ads/470226/21 "2008-10-30T17:41:46Z")
Not everyone finds the evidence against HFCS convincing. [http://agresearch.umd.edu/CFNAP/Outreach/Conference%20Proceedings/pdfs/HFCS\_Press\_Release.pdf](http://agresearch.umd.edu/CFNAP/Outreach/Conference%20Proceedings/pdfs/HFCS_Press_Release.pdf) PDF link. The same statistical link by which it has been implicated in obesity applies to a number of other social and nutritional factors. More research is needed. However, if you eat less of it, since it is in everything, you will eat less. For most Americans, that’s a good thing. Tris ---
**Author:** ![Terminus\_Est](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terminus_est/32/3087_2.png) [@Terminus\_Est](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terminus_Est)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2008, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/high-fructose-corn-syrup-ads/470226/22 "2008-10-30T17:56:27Z")
> [@Iamametalrobot](#): > > High fructose corn syrup is 55% fructose, 45% glucose. Cane sugar is made of sucrose, which is a fructose & glucose molecule weakly bonded together. A [glycosidic bond](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glycosidic_bond) is not what I would call “weakly bonded”. ---
**Author:** ![Iamametalrobot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/e8c25b/32.png) [@Iamametalrobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Iamametalrobot)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2008, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/high-fructose-corn-syrup-ads/470226/23 "2008-10-30T18:05:10Z")
> [@Terminus\_Est](#): > > A [glycosidic bond](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glycosidic_bond) is not what I would call “weakly bonded”. Well, the wiki article I linked to on HFC calls it a relatively weak glycosidic bond. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![arrosen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3d9bf3/32.png) [@arrosen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/arrosen)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2008, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/high-fructose-corn-syrup-ads/470226/24 "2008-10-30T19:21:17Z")
It is not scientific, and I know it can’t be accurately tested, but if my 9-year-old son eats ANY HFCS, he gets severe headaches, sweats profusely and usualy vomits. We have tried to eliminate it completely from our diet, but as noted, it is quite difficult. There is much anecdotal evidence about people’s intollerance to it. Though none of it can be proven, if it makes you feel better, just don’t eat it! ---
**Author:** ![Antinor01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecae2f/32.png) [@Antinor01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antinor01)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2008, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/high-fructose-corn-syrup-ads/470226/25 "2008-10-30T19:35:42Z")
> [@KnitWit](#): > > Also, I’m curious about where they’re running these ads. They seemed to pop up exactly when we moved from Boston to Eastern Iowa. Is this coincidence or are they bombarding farm areas or the Midwest with these ads? Must be a national campaign, we have them in CA as well. ---
**Author:** ![Savannah](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b3f665/32.png) [@Savannah](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Savannah)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2008, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/high-fructose-corn-syrup-ads/470226/26 "2008-10-30T19:36:29Z")
You do need to be very vigilent about this stuff; I can’t believe the food items it’s in, where I really don’t need sweetner (and calories) added. “In moderation” is fine, but HFCS is largely hidden, because it’s in savoury foods and foods that you may not associate with being sweet. We are seeing the ads in Western Canada, or I could be seeing them on American TV out of Seattle. It’s a reminder to me to eat far fewer processed foods. Food that comes in a bag, box or can, and that I don’t have to do much to prepare probably isn’t very good for me… ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2008, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/high-fructose-corn-syrup-ads/470226/27 "2008-10-30T19:49:08Z")
> [@](#): > > I actually had somebody tell me something didn’t have sugar in it once, and the first five ingredients listed things that ended in “ose”–glucose, maltose, HFC… but no sugar… being a diabetic, this is important to me, so I made sure to mock my friend. I remember once being very surprised to notice that Smarties candy didn’t have any sugar listed in the ingredients. Then again, I was about eight years old at the time, and my mom explained to me about all the -oses. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2008, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/high-fructose-corn-syrup-ads/470226/28 "2008-10-30T20:02:56Z")
> [@Ferret\_Herder](#): > > (Plus yogurt sizes are getting tiny anyway.) Tell me about it! You can barely get a spoon into the container anymore. ---
**Author:** ![ShibbOleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/848f3c/32.png) [@ShibbOleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShibbOleth)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2008, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/high-fructose-corn-syrup-ads/470226/29 "2008-10-30T20:08:02Z")
> [@KnitWit](#): > > This was my first thought about the ads. It’s nearly impossible to get the stuff in moderation because it’s hidden in EVERYTHING. Even my 100 calorie, low fat yogurts have hfcs as the second or third ingredient. How did they even get it in there without jacking up the calorie count? I eat at LEAST one a day and usually two. Those little low fat yogurt containers are usually only a few ounces, maybe eight, right? A twelve ounce of Coke only has 140 calories and 39 grams of carbohydrates. Ounce for ounce, your low fat yogurt has about as many or more calories as a can of soda pop. ---
**Author:** ![Carson\_O\_Genic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/cdc98d/32.png) [@Carson\_O\_Genic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Carson_O_Genic)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2008, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/high-fructose-corn-syrup-ads/470226/30 "2008-10-30T20:36:30Z")
Another reason for its prevalence in food products is humectant properties, which help control moisture, staling and growth of unwanteds related to spoilage. I suppose it is the cheapest of its ilk; a large operation beekeeper I know overwinters his hives on HFCS rather than the honey bees normally produce for winter store since even wholesale there’s greater profit in honey. ---
**Author:** ![KnitWit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f0a364/32.png) [@KnitWit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KnitWit)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2008, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/high-fructose-corn-syrup-ads/470226/31 "2008-10-30T20:46:15Z")
> [@ShibbOleth](#): > > Those little low fat yogurt containers are usually only a few ounces, maybe eight, right? A twelve ounce of Coke only has 140 calories and 39 grams of carbohydrates. Ounce for ounce, your low fat yogurt has about as many or more calories as a can of soda pop. They’re 6 ounce Yoplait yogurts. And unless there’s calcium and protein in Coke, I won’t be switching from yogurt to Coke any time soon. Same calories, more nutritional value. You won’t convince me that yogurt is just as bad for you as non-diet soda. ---
**Author:** ![ShibbOleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/848f3c/32.png) [@ShibbOleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShibbOleth)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2008, 11:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/high-fructose-corn-syrup-ads/470226/32 "2008-10-31T11:47:58Z")
> [@KnitWit](#): > > They’re 6 ounce Yoplait yogurts. And unless there’s calcium and protein in Coke, I won’t be switching from yogurt to Coke any time soon. Same calories, more nutritional value. You won’t convince me that yogurt is just as bad for you as non-diet soda. Didn’t say that, said that they were just as loaded with calories. A lot of people get confused about that non-fat thing. FTR, I do suspect that much of the yogurt which is sold is not as good for you as the manufacturers would lead us to believe, although I doubt that a little bit of the stuff is bad. ---
**Author:** ![Bridget\_Burke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7cd45c/32.png) [@Bridget\_Burke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bridget_Burke)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2008, 12:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/high-fructose-corn-syrup-ads/470226/33 "2008-10-31T12:33:52Z")
If High Fructose Corn Syrup is so good for you–why don’t grocery stores sell it? They have regular corn syrup–for pecan pie, of course. (Yum.) But not the other stuff. Robb Walsh of the Houston Press wrote about [Dr Pepper bootleggers](http://www.houstonpress.com/2008-06-05/news/boot-legging-dr-pepper/)–the Dublin (Texas) plant makes it with pure cane sugar. He points out that many folks (especially us oldsters) simply prefer the taste. I prefer it (or Mexican coke) for my occasional sugar/caffeine treat–all those calories had better taste\* really\* good. (Unsweetened ice tea is my hot weather standby.) When I see HFCS on an ingredient list, I don’t think “eek, poison!” But I might wonder whether I _really_ need that particular product. ---
**Author:** ![Harriet\_the\_Spry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e56c9b/32.png) [@Harriet\_the\_Spry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harriet_the_Spry)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2008, 12:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/high-fructose-corn-syrup-ads/470226/34 "2008-10-31T12:41:20Z")
The difference I have found is that it does not lead to satiety. Drinking an HFCS soda is like drinking water or diet soda as far as how it fills me up. Drinking a cane sugar soda, like Jones, is like having a snack, albeit an unhealthy one. This is anecdotal, although I have read the claim elsewhere. ---
**Author:** ![Ellis\_Aponte\_Jr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@Ellis\_Aponte\_Jr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ellis_Aponte_Jr)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2008, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/high-fructose-corn-syrup-ads/470226/35 "2008-10-31T16:14:05Z")
> [@Harriet\_the\_Spry](#): > > The difference I have found is that it does not lead to satiety. Drinking an HFCS soda is like drinking water or diet soda as far as how it fills me up. Drinking a cane sugar soda, like Jones, is like having a snack, albeit an unhealthy one. This is anecdotal, although I have read the claim elsewhere. Yes, I’ve also read this in some pop-sci literature (sorry, no cite). This could be the main problem with HFCS as it explains the correlation between obesity & prevalence of HFCS in the national diet. It would also explain why serving sizes got much bigger after HFCS replaced sugar in sodas. From the 12 oz. standard in the mid '70s it ballooned to 20 oz. by around 1990 (correct me if I’m wrong). Or, I’ve noticed, people who drink 12 oz. cans drink them serially, sipping for hours. It all makes sense to me, but I’d like to see some solid evidences that backs up this theory. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/high-fructose-corn-syrup-ads/470226.md?page=1)