Blogcast: Is high-fructose corn syrup the fentanyl of sugar?

This week's blog post started with a beach argument that turned into a deep dive on why HFCS might actually be worse than regular sugar. I was trying to convince my relative—who won an Emmy for breaking the opioid story on 60 Minutes—that my "fentanyl of sugar" comparison wasn't crazy.

Here's what I learned: Regular sugar makes your body work to break it down, but HFCS is like free glucose and fructose hitting your liver at full speed. No speed bumps, no processing time. Just pure impact.

We dig into the Princeton rat study showing 48% more weight gain with HFCS, why your liver turns excess fructose into fat, and how industry-funded studies might be skewing the research. Plus, why Coca-Cola's decision to ditch HFCS for cane sugar might be bigger news than we think.

The best part? Even a journalist who exposed Big Pharma agreed that questioning industry-funded research is worth doing. Sometimes validation comes from the people who know corruption best.

A narrated essay from The Pressures of Privilege.
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[00:00:01] Is high fructose corn syrup the fentanyl of sugar? [00:00:04] Yesterday I spent a couple of hours on the beach sunbathing and arguing with a relative who won an Emmy for breaking the opioid story on 60 Minutes. I was trying to convince him that high fructose corn syrup is worse for you than regular sugar. [00:00:20] The news had just dropped. Coca Cola is pulling high fructose corn syrup out of regular coke and going back to using cane sugar. [00:00:28] Two weeks ago, I wrote that high fructose corn syrup should be classified as a Schedule 1 drug. [00:00:34] Now here I was trying to convince someone who actually exposed corporate cover ups that my comparison wasn't crazy. [00:00:42] They're both bad for you, he said. [00:00:45] I know, I replied. But high fructose corn syrup is worse. If sugar is heroin, high fructose corn syrup is fentanyl. He nodded and closed his eyes. So I I pulled out my phone and started digging into studies and articles until my battery died. [00:01:01] Are sugar and high fructose corn syrup the same? [00:01:04] My relative was partly right. Sugar isn't good for us. But sugar and high fructose corn syrup don't work the same way in your body. Here's why. [00:01:13] Table sugar Regular sugar Sucrose is natural. It's made up of two sugars bonded together 50% glucose and 50% fructose. When you eat it, your gut enzymes break the glucose and fructose apart before absorption. This takes time and slows down how fast the fructose hits your bloodstream and liver. High fructose corn syrup factories make high fructose corn syrup by processing cornstarch into syrup. Unlike regular sugar, high fructose corn syrup is made up of free glucose and free fructose. They're free because they're not stuck together and have no bonds to break. [00:01:50] The most common type has 55% fructose and 45% glucose. Since these sugars are already separated, they hit your bloodstream and liver like a freight train. [00:02:00] Why? High fructose corn syrup hits harder. Faster absorption. Your gut doesn't need to break anything down. The sugars flood your bloodstream faster than regular sugar. Liver overload. Your liver handles almost all fructose. Too much fructose turns into fat. This is why people get fatty liver disease without drinking alcohol. [00:02:21] More inflammation. Studies show high fructose corn syrup raises inflammation markers in your body more than regular sugar does. [00:02:28] Hidden everywhere, high fructose corn syrup costs way less than regular sugar $0.35 versus $1 per pound. So companies put it in almost everything Sodas, bread sauces, snacks it's hard to avoid eating too much. [00:02:44] Weight gain a 2010 Princeton study gave rats either high fructose corn syrup water or sugar water. The rats drinking high fructose corn syrup gained 48% more weight than the sugar rats, even when they ate the same number of calories. [00:03:01] Back to the beach we're not rats, my relative said with a grin. True, but 42% of Americans are obese and 93% have metabolic problems, I said back. We're not rats. But look at the human proof. [00:03:16] Other studies on humans show no difference, he said, ever the journalist weighing both sides. [00:03:22] Fair, I said. But most of those studies were paid for for by Coca Cola and Corn Refiners Association. [00:03:29] Isn't that worth questioning? He opened one eye, smiled, and said, that's a good point. [00:03:35] Two weeks ago, I argued that high fructose corn syrup should be classified as a Schedule 1 drug. [00:03:40] My relative's response today sometimes the best validation comes from the people who know corruption best. [00:03:47] If only we could take the politics out of health discussions.

Blogcast: Is high-fructose corn syrup the fentanyl of sugar?

Show Notes

Episode Transcript

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