Avoid This Food Additive
This food additive promotes fat storage, weight gain, inflammation, & gut dysbiosis.
There are many food additives that are important to be aware of that disrupt the microbiome and contribute to inflammation and other health issues.
One of those is high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS).
One of the main concerns with HFCS is the impact it has on our metabolic health as it's a major driver of fat synthesis, fatty liver disease, weight gain, and insulin resistance.
Similar to regular sugar, HFCS is composed of two sugar molecules: fructose and glucose. However, HFCS is much higher in fructose than regular sugar. While regular sugar is made up of equal parts glucose and fructose (50% of each), HFCS contains 55-90% fructose.
In addition, the fructose and glucose molecules in HFCS are not bound together like they are in regular sugar, which means no digestion is required and they're rapidly absorbed into the bloodstream.
The fructose goes straight to the liver where it's converted into fat (triglycerides and cholesterol), eventually leading to fatty liver disease. The glucose triggers the release of insulin, which promotes fat storage and also contributes to insulin resistance when this cycle is ongoing.
Fructose also increases levels of our hunger hormones so we have increased appetite and crave even more carbs and sugar (whereas glucose increases satiety and reduces appetite and food intake).
As you can see, regular consumption of HFCS is a viscous cycle that can have negative impacts on our weight and overall health.
Below you'll find research on how HFCS affects lipid levels, gut health, and brain health. We'll also cover the food sources that it's found it and how to reduce your intake of HFCS.