High fructose corn syrup

High fructose corn syrup supplies glucose and fructose; it is an added sugar rather than a noncaloric sweetener. Common grades have sugar proportions close to those released when table sugar is digested. High intakes, especially through sweetened drinks, can contribute to tooth decay and metabolic problems. Short human studies supplying up to one-quarter of daily energy as HFCS found changes in liver fat, blood lipids and insulin sensitivity, but their small size, nonrandomized design and brief duration limit conclusions about lasting disease.

Several publications reuse the same participants. Direct comparisons do not consistently show HFCS is worse than similar amounts of table sugar, and controlled-energy studies have reported fewer adverse changes. New observational asthma findings and mouse cancer-metastasis experiments raise questions without proving those outcomes in people eating HFCS. Reducing total added sugar is more useful than assuming a switch to cane sugar removes the concern.

HFCS remains permitted federally; a September 2026 prohibition bill is a proposal. Rhode Island restricts added sweeteners in competitive school beverages under its nutrition standards.

Research reviewed on September 5, 2026 · 12 sources