By: Ann Bouchoux   Date: 3/26/10

There has been a lot of controversy surrounding the recent release and promotion of a new study that claims to show that when rats consumed high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) they gained significantly more weight than those that consumed table sugar.  Given that there is already considerable confusion about sugars in general and HFCS in particular, it is not surprising that researchers would want to learn more about the subject. Unfortunately, rather than clarifying the issue, the study (published online in the journal Pharmacology, Biochemistry and Behavior) seems to have added to the confusion.

 Here at the International Food Information Council Foundation we had questions about the study, which is pretty challenging to interpret, when along came an excellent review of the study by none other than New York University nutrition expert, Marion Nestle, who is no fan of HFCS.  Dr. Nestle points out that the study really doesn’t offer convincing evidence sinceit may be based on inconclusive results. We urge you to click on this link to read her complete review and to help bring a little balance to the coverage of this issue.

Recognizing that there are a lot of contradictory opinions on this subject, you may find this brief, but information-packed Foundation fact sheet interesting reading: Fast Facts about High Fructose Corn Syrup.