Did you know that most of the sweet treats that you enjoy contain a particular ingredient called corn syrup?As the name specifies, this is a syrup made using corn that gives foods and beverages their sweet taste. An enhanced version of corn syrup is called High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS), and this is also used in many foods and drinks.Corn, a type of grain, contains starch mainly. Starch is a type of carbohydrate and gives foods a sticky, chewy texture. The starch from corn is extracted and converted into a sweet syrup that tastes very similar to sugar. It is available as a liquid and hence easily blends with other ingredients. Most food and beverage items like candies, baked goods, soda, packaged juices, salad dressings, bread, canned foods, most junk edibles, and even some cereals contain corn syrup.Corn syrup has become a cheaper alternative to sucrose, the common table sugar that all of us are used to. This article will help you go through the basics of corn syrup, its nutritional values, its advantages, and why it has become one of America’s favorite sweeteners.Once you have finished reading this article, you must check out these corn nutrition facts and is corn a fruit here at Kidadl.Nutritional Properties Of Corn SyrupPeople also refer to corn syrup as ‘glucose syrup’ because it contains 100% glucose. It contains maltose and oligosaccharides, both of which are variants of glucose. Here are the nutritional properties of corn syrup.1 cup or 8 oz (226.7 g) of corn syrup contains the following nutritional values:A total of 642 calories6 oz (170 g) of carbohydrates0.01 oz (0.3 g) of fat0.0049 oz (0.1 g) of sodium0.0010 oz (0.03 g) of calciumThe sodium and calcium components of corn syrup are not very substantial. Therefore, it can be assumed that corn syrup is mostly sucrose (sugar).Sucrose contains both sucralose and fructose in equal quantities. Corn syrup, on the other hand, contains 100% glucose. According to studies, high fructose corn syrup, which is a refined form of corn syrup, contains 45% glucose and 55% fructose. As you can see, the fructose content in both HFCS and sugar is not very different.You may wonder if corn syrup is mostly sugar, so why not use sugar itself? There are a few reasons for this. Corn syrup does not form crystals like simple sugar and hence is easy to blend with other ingredients. Corn syrup, when manufactured in bulk, is cheaper than sucrose. The glucose in corn syrup is more stable than sucrose and can be subjected to more intense processing.How to make corn syrup?Corn syrup is commercially made in large quantities to be used across different food and beverage industries. This is how the syrup is made:Type two yellow dent corn is soaked in water and wet-milled until it gets soft and malleable. The water usually contains a chemical called sulfur dioxide. Sulfur dioxide is an acid that helps in the softening process.The kernels are now passed through multiple mills and corn starch is extracted. According to experts, the corn kernels may need to be washed and filtered about 8–14 times to extract 99.5% pure starch.This starch is now mixed with hydrochloric acid and is heated under pressure. The acid breaks down starch and converts it into glucose molecules. The resultant syrup is thick and sweet.Now, this syrup may go through additional processes to be converted into high-fructose corn syrup. HFCS is produced by converting a large amount of glucose in the syrup into fructose by using enzymes like D-xylose isomerase.HFCS sweeteners are much sweeter than regular corn syrup or sucrose, for that matter, and are more stable.BenefitsThough there are a lot of adverse health effects that can be caused by corn syrup and HFCS, there are certain benefits of these for large industries and manufacturers that cannot be ignored. These benefits are mentioned below.Sugar is extracted from sugar beets and sugar cane. Both these don’t grow majorly in the United States and hence are expensive to import. Corn is very commonly grown in the USA and hence is cheaper. Both sugar cane and sugar beets are equatorial crops.Over the years, the demand for sweet, sugary foods and sweeteners has increased drastically in the United States. So has the price of sugar. As a result, food and beverage manufacturers find it cheaper to use this sweet syrup.Corn syrup makes foods and beverages creamier too. As a result, they are a favorite choice for adding to ice cream, yogurt, and other dairy-based edibles. Some home bakers also use small quantities of syrup in their pastries to give them a nice soft and chewy texture.Are there any adverse effects to these sweeteners? Yes, say health experts.Studies suggest that just like how simple sugars can spike your blood sugar levels, corn syrup-based sweeteners can also lead to high blood sugars and can be dangerous for people with diabetes. When you add sugar to your food, you know how much you actually add.When it comes to packaged food consumption, it is difficult to know how much corn syrup you have actually consumed over the course of the day. As a result, you may be gorging on glucose, adding on excess calories unintentionally, and gaining body fat.Excessive corn syrup consumption can lead to obesity and liver failure. When it comes to HFCS, the adverse health problems are greater. Since HFCS contains higher amounts of fructose, experts say it can lead to severe health problems.Just like in simple sugars, the fructose in HFCS gets converted into glucose, glycogen, and fat in the body. The glucose is easily used while glycogen is stored for future use.The fat content is stored in the adipose tissue. The more HFCS you consume, the more fat gets deposited in your body! So, apart from causing problems like diabetes, HFCS may also lead to heart problems, strokes, obesity, and fatty liver diseases.Interesting Facts About Corn SyrupHere are some very interesting facts about corn syrup that you should know about.Corn syrup is a type of hidden sugar. Hidden sugars may be mentioned in so many different terms on nutrition labels of food and beverage items. Look out for terms like glucose syrup, fructose, sucrose, corn sweetener, and fruit juice concentrates.It was in 1811 that the sweet syrup was first identified by a German chemist. However, it was during the ’70s that the food and beverage industries seriously started replacing sugar with corn syrup. Eating fruits also raises your blood sugar levels, but fruits contain a lot of dietary fiber and other vitamins and minerals that corn syrup-based foods don’t have.Also, the sugars from fruits are slowly released into the bloodstream while those from corn syrup are rapidly released. This leads to insulin spikes and an increased risk of diabetes.Interestingly, honey, a supposedly natural sweetener, also contains about 40% fructose. If you have been trying to switch from sugar to honey, then do know that it also causes an insulin spike and has high calories. You have to use honey in moderate quantities too.Corn syrup can add a lot of hidden calories to your meals. This is especially true if you regularly eat out, order takeaways, or depend on packaged and frozen packs. When you are cooking recipes at home, it is wise to reduce the amount of sugar to make the recipes healthier.A lot of supposedly healthy beverages contain this sweetener and end up being calorie-rich. Check your beverages’ labels to know how much added sugar the drink actually contains.Your body slowly gets used to excessive sweetness in food and, after a while, you may prefer all original tastes to be masked in sweetness. Slowly cutting back on the sugar you consume will help prevent this. Start by analyzing the added sugar in your meals and snacks and bringing the levels down gradually.Let’s compare a healthy meal to a sweet treat. 3.5 oz (99.2 g) of steak, which can make you really full for a long time, contains 271 calories. 3.5 oz (99.2 g) of donuts, meanwhile, contains 452 calories. You may need to eat more than a donut to actually feel full. Apart from adding unwanted simple sugar to your diet, these junk foods also add excess calories without you realizing it.Did you know that the use of corn syrup is restricted in the United Kingdom? This is because they have a limited production quota for it.Sweeteners like these have definitely made the prices of your meals more affordable. However, they have created a dependency and an addiction to sweet tastes, and this is something healthcare experts are worried about. You don’t have to completely avoid such edibles. However, make sure you choose these with caution. Nothing beats the sweet taste of fresh fruits in your meals.Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly facts for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestions, here are some corn syrup facts to stimulate that sugary goodness, then why not take a look at corn facts or canned corn nutrition facts.
Did you know that most of the sweet treats that you enjoy contain a particular ingredient called corn syrup?
