Fact: Diabetes is an Epidemic, but HFCS is Not the Cause.
Diabetes is a major public health concern, however, there is overwhelming scientific evidence and agreement in the scientific community that HFCS is not a unique cause of either diabetes or obesity.
This fact has been supported by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and the American Diabetes Association who state that the primary causes of diabetes are obesity, advancing age and heredity.1,2
As Diabetes Goes Up, Consumption of HFCS Goes Down
In fact, while per capita HFCS consumption has been declining in recent years, the incidence of obesity and diabetes in the U.S. remains on the rise.3 In addition, many parts of the world, including Australia, Chile and the Middle East, have rising rates of diabetes and obesity despite having little or no HFCS in their foods and beverages.4,5
About Diabetes
Diabetes occurs when the body is unable to produce enough insulin or use insulin, resulting in high blood glucose levels. Insulin allows the carbohydrates in foods to be used by the body for energy. Carbohydrates come in both simple (sugar, high fructose corn syrup, honey, fructose in fruit, lactose in milk) and complex (starch as in flour, bread, cereal, rice, pasta) sources. All complex carbohydrates are broken down or converted into glucose, the primary sugar the body uses for energy.
It’s important for diabetics to watch their diets and closely monitor their intake of sugar, in all its forms.
1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Basics about Diabetes, http://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/consumer/learn.htm
2. American Diabetes Association, Diabetes Myths, http://www.diabetes.org/diabetes-basics/diabetes-myths/
3. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Diabetes Fact Sheet, 2011.
4. World Health Organization, Global Database on Body Mass Index, Country comparison – BMI adults % obese (>=30.0), Most recent, See also World Health Organization, March 2011, Obesity and overweight: Fact sheet No. 311.
5. LMC International, Inc., 2012, Table 2: World Sugar & HFCS Consumption, Sweetener Analysis, January 2012.