Sweetener Myths and Misinformation High Fructose Or Hyperbole?

3/25/2011

CornSugar.com

Sweetener Myths and Misinformation High Fructose or Hyperbole?

West Virginia Dietetic Association, April 2011

John S. White, Ph.D. President, White Technical Research

My reasoned view of high fructose corn syrup…

• Scientific perspective lost in the debate • Equivalent to sucrose in many respects • No evidence that it is uniquely responsible for obesity • Can be part of a healthy diet when used in moderation And now…The Rest of the Story

What have you heard about Take home message high fructose corn syrup…? Experts agree: HFCS = Sucrose

• Uniquely responsible for obesity • ILSI-USDA Expert Panel, 2008; • Michael Jacobsen, CSPI J Nutr, Jun 2009 • Walter Willett, Harvard • HFCS is sweeter than sucrose (table sugar) • American Dietetic Association, • Marion Nestle, NYU Dec 2008 • Doesn’t blunt appetite; overeating • Peter Havel, UC Davis • American Medical Association, • Metabolized differently than sucrose Jun 2008 • Barryyp, Popkin, UNC • Experimental Biology Expert • George Bray, Pennington • Raises triglycerides, uric acid, blood pressure Panel, 2007; AJCN, Dec 2008 Let’s see what • Primary cause of metabolic syndrome, diabetes, • Center for Food, Nutrition and Agricultural Policy Expert Panel, science says… heart disease 2006; Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr, 2007 All false…Surprised?

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HFCS history Why the focus on HFCS?

HFCS timeline • Bray, Nielsen & Popkin, AJCN, 2004 1960s – technology development • Graphical correlation 1970s – introduced to food industry 1970 – 2000 1980s –wide use in food s HFCS use vs obesity • Hypothesis: 1990s – peak use HFCS is uniquely 2000s – focus and decline responsible for obesity • Despite correlation ≠ causation, widespread dissemination

HFCS declining for 12y…Bray hypothesis HFCS declining for 12y…Bray hypothesis untenable even before publication untenable even before publication

2000 remains a popular – but – wrong endpoint in justifications

U.S. Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service. 2010. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service. 2010.

…and sucrose is dominant worldwide Science says Most nutritive sweeteners are essentially interchangeable

• Composition • Processing

• Calories • Absorption

• Sweetness • Metabolism

• Functionality Fereday et al. Sweetener analysis. LMC International Ltd., 2005.

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Science says Production methods are similar Science says

Fruit juice3 Agave4 Sucrose1 HFCS2 Honey concentrate nectar Composition is similar Cane Pear, Grape Source Corn Bees Cactus Corn High Fructose Invert Fruit Juice Agave Beet Apple Sucrose Honey Type of Sugar Syrup Corn Syrup Sugar Concentrates Nectar Physical/botanical extraction 999 9 9 Monosaccharides Hydrolysis 99 9 Fructose 99999 •Acid, enzyme Glucose 9 99999 Flocculation/Filtration 999 9 9 Disaccharides Sucrose Enzyme treatment (Fru−Glu) 9 (9)(9)(9) •Depolymerization, filtration aid, 99 9 9 isomerization, inversion Lactose (Glu−Gal) Concentration Maltose •Evaporation 999 9 9 (Glu−Glu) 9 Color/flavor/aroma removal Polysaccharides 9 (Glu Glu) (9) •Ion exchange, carbon, 99 9 − X 9 crystallization Stripping

1Kirk-Othmer Concise Encyclopedia of Chemical Technology, 4th Edition, pg. 1915-1919 2www.corn.org 3www.sugar.org/other-sweeteners/other-caloric-sweeteners.html#juice-concentrates 4www.patentstorm.us/patents/5846333/fulltext.html

Science says Science says HFCS sugars − common in sweeteners HFCS sugars − common in nature % Total sugars*

Sweetener Form Total fructose Total glucose Fructose Fruit, vegetables HFCS‐42 Syrup 42 58 (% total sugars) Honey Syrup 48 52 ≥66 Apples, pears

Crystalline sucrose Dry 50 50 56-65 Asparagus, raspberries, spinach, watermelon Medium/Total invert Syrup 50 50 Almonds, apricots, bananas, blackberries, blueberries, broccoli, + EtdEvaporated cane jijuice Syrup 50 50 BlBrussels sprouts, cabbage, cantltaloupe, carrots, cashews, chiherries, Clementines, sweet corn, cucumbers, currants, dates, figs, filberts, Grape juice conc Syrup 53 47 grapefruit, grapes, hazelnuts, honeydew, melon, kiwi fruit, lentils, 42-55 HFCS‐55 Syrup 55 45 lettuce, lime juice, macadamias, nectarines, sweet onions, navel oranges, peaches, peanuts, peas pecans, sweet peppers, +Apple juice conc Syrup 65 35 persimmons, pineapple, pistachios, raisins, summer squash, +Pear juice conc Syrup 74 26 strawberries, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, walnuts, cooked wild rice + Agave nectar Syrup 74 26 31-41 Artichokes, celery, okra, plums, radishes, turnip greens Crystalline fructose Dry 99.5+ 0.1 max

NutritionData.com. Conde Nast. 2008. *Total sugars = ∑ (sucrose + glucose + fructose + lactose + maltose + galactose)

Science says Science says Hydrolyzed Differences disappear in bloodstream sucrose = HFCS • Enzyme (sucrase) F Sucrose F―G Æ F + G • Acid (pH, temp, time) G

Inveetsugart sugar HFCS F F + G Fruit Juice Conc. G Honey

OH + • Different pathways for fructose & glucose is a moot point • All sweeteners produce the same metabolic effect High Fructose Corn Syrup

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Science says Science says Sweetener reformulation is a metabolic wash: no nutritional improvement… misleads consumers A sugar is a sugar

Once sucrose and HFCS are absorbed into the • Cane and beet sugar bloodstream, they: • Fruit sugar – deliver the same sugars • Agave sugar – at the same ratios • Corn sugar – to the same tissues • Name change proposed to FDA – within the same timeframe • Independent research shows consumers – to the same metabolic pathways understand corn sugar • Helps consumers manage sugars intake

Science says Science says Sweetness: HFCS = Sucrose Sugars are functional beyond sweetness Why they’re used in foods… Sweetness Relative Absolute Sugars Intensity Sweetness Sweetness • Sweetness equivalent • More fermentable (crystalline)1 (10% ds)2 (10% ds)3 to sucrose sugars Fructose 180 117 • Ease of hhdliandling • RtiRetains moiitsture Sucrose 100 100 100 • Stability in acid • Resists crystallization HFCS-55 99 97 • Promotes browning • Lower freezing point Glucose 74-82 65

1Schallenberger & Acree. 1971. Sugar Chemistry. AVI Pub. Co., Westport CT. • Flavor enhancement 2White & Parke. 1989. Cereal Foods World. 34(5):392-398. 3Calculated from Schiffman, et al. 2000. Physiology & Behavior. 68:469-481.

Science says HFCS vs Sucrose... Metabolically equivalent

Melanson, Zukley, Lowndes, Nguyen, Angelopoulos, Rippe. 2007.Effects of high‐fructose corn syrup and sucrose consumption on circulating glucose, insulin, leptin, and ghrelin and on appetite in normal‐weight woman. Nutrition 23(2):103‐112.

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Melanson, Zukley, Lowndes, Nguyen, Angelopoulos, Rippe. 2007.Effects of high‐fructose corn syrup and sucrose consumption on circulating Melanson, Zukley, Lowndes, Nguyen, Angelopoulos, Rippe. 2007.Effects of high‐fructose corn syrup and sucrose consumption on circulating glucose, insulin, leptin, and ghrelin and on appetite in normal‐weight woman. Nutrition 23(2):103‐112. glucose, insulin, leptin, and ghrelin and on appetite in normal‐weight woman. Nutrition 23(2):103‐112.

Melanson, Zukley, Lowndes, Nguyen, Angelopoulos, Rippe. 2007.Effects of high‐fructose corn syrup and sucrose consumption on circulating Zukley M, et al. June 2007. The Effect of High Fructose Corn Syrup on Post‐Prandial Lipemia in Normal Weight Females. glucose, insulin, leptin, and ghrelin and on appetite in normal‐weight woman. Nutrition 23(2):103‐112. Presented at the June 2007 meeting of The Endocrine Society. Program Abstract #P2‐46.

Science says Pure fructose research doesn’t predict HFCS health outcomes

• HFCS is half fructose/half glucose • Incidence of either dietary extreme is negligible • High [fructose] ≠ HFCS • Higg,pygh dose of either is toxic, not physiologic • Fructose metabolism ≠ fructose + glucose • Glucose is not a viable replacement in foods • HFCS replaced sucrose, not glucose; best model: HFCS vs sucrose

Lowndes J, et al. June 2007. The Effect of High‐Fructose Corn Syrup on Uric Acid Levels in Normal Weight Women. Presented at the June 2007 meeting of The Endocrine Society. Program Abstract #P2‐45.

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Science says High fructose levels Fructose vs Glucose Case Study tested aren’t found in human diet

• 25th percentile intake = 4.5% of energy Volume 13, Issue 3, pages 229–234, March 2011 • 50th percentile (mean) intake = 9.1% • 95th percentile < 18% Brain fMRI response to glucose and fructose infusions in humans

Marriott, B et al, J Nutr, 2009 Purnell JQ, Klopfenstein BA, Stevens AA, et al. • Human studies feed 25-50% of energy Oregon Health & Science University, Portland • Animal studies feed 60+% Schools of Veterinary Medicine & Nutrition, UC Davis USDA-ARS, Western Human Nutrition Research Center, Davis, CA

Midline data acquisition, hypothalamic Setup region of interest (orange)

Purpose • Intracerebroventricular glucose and fructose have opposing effects on appetite and weight regulation in animals. • Would brain response differ in humans and independently of ingestion?

Procedure • 9 healthy, normal weight subjects • fMRI (functional brain magnetic resonance imaging) in response to glucose or fructose infusions (0.3 mg/kg)

So, what’s wrong with this paper?

Plasma fructose peak (8 mM) is Hypothalamus: Sugars have no 15-20x typical literature values effect vs saline control

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Cortex: Glucose (+) ≠ saline ≠ fructose (-) Cortex: What if glucose and fructose are fed together (typical diet)?

Cortex: What if glucose and fructose fed together (typical diet)? NSD! Cautions about Purnell et al. fructose vs glucose model • Infusion model so far removed from how humans get fructose that it’s not useful for predicting human outcomes and guiding public health policy • Unrealistic intake levels exaggerate biochemical differences and bias outcomes • Interpretations based on a single sugar miss additive effects of multicomponent sweeteners and other nutrients in mixed meals • PR Departments sensationalize poor research • Loss of the big picture, whole diet effect…that, and diversion from sound science

Energy intake +515 kcal/d since 1970…

Year

Science says 2,800 +24% Obesity is a calorie/exercise 2,700 imbalance issue 2,600 2,500 ries (kcal/day) o

2,400

2,300

2,200 capita per calTotal

2,100

Source: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service. 2009 Calories: average daily per capita calories from the U.S. food supply, adjust for spoilage and other waste. Loss‐Adjusted Food Availability Data.

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…but added sugars only +58 kcal/d What do you NOW know about

700 high fructose corn syrup…?

650 • It ISN’T uniquely responsible for obesity 600 Flour and cereal products Added fats Added sugars • It ISN’T sweeter than sucrose (table sugar) 550 • It DOESN’T uniquely affect appetite; overeating 500 alories/day c 450 • It ISN’T metabolized differently than sucrose

400 • It DOESN’T uniquely affect triglycerides, uric acid, blood pressure

Per capita capita Per 350 • It ISN’T a primary cause of metabolic syndrome, 300 diabetes, heart disease Year • It IS equivalent to sucrose (table sugar)

Highly credible institutions Take home message confirm HFCS/sucrose equality Experts agree: HFCS = Sucrose

“Because the composition of high fructose • ILSI-USDA Expert Panel, 2008; • Michael Jacobsen, CSPI J Nutr, Jun 2009 corn syrup and sucrose are so similar, it • Walter Willett, Harvard appears unlikely that high fructose corn • American Dietetic Association, • Marion Nestle, NYU Dec 2008 syrup contributes more to obesity or • Peter Havel, UC Davis other conditions than sucrose.” • American Medical Association, Jun 2008 • Barryyp, Popkin, UNC • Experimental Biology Expert • George Bray, Pennington “Both sweeteners contain the same Panel, 2007; AJCN, Dec 2008 number of calories (4 per gram) and • Center for Food, Nutrition and consist of equal parts of fructose an Agricultural Policy Expert Panel, Shouldn’t you, too! glucose. Once absorbed into the blood 2006; Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr, 2007 stream, the two sweeteners are indistinguishable.”

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Questions?