- With Mayo Clinic nutritionist
Jennifer K. Nelson, R.D., L.D.
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Jennifer K. Nelson, R.D., L.D.
Jennifer K. Nelson, R.D., L.D.
Jennifer Nelson is your link to a better diet. As specialty editor for food and nutrition, she plays a vital role in bringing you healthy recipes and meal planning.
"Nutrition is one way people have direct control over the quality of their lives," she says. "I hope to translate the science of nutrition into ways that people can select and prepare great-tasting foods that help maintain health and treat disease."
Nelson, a St. Paul, Minn., native, is a registered dietitian and has been with Mayo Clinic since 1978. She is director of clinical dietetics and an associate professor of nutrition at College of Medicine, Mayo Clinic.
She leads clinical nutrition efforts for a staff of more than 70 clinical dietitians and nine dietetic technicians and oversees staffing, strategic and financial planning, and quality improvement. Nelson was co-editor of the James Beard Foundation Award-winning "The New Mayo Clinic Cookbook" and the New York Times best-seller "The Mayo Clinic Diet."
She's been a contributing author to and reviewer of many other Mayo Clinic books and publications, including "The Mayo Clinic Family Health Book," "The Mayo Clinic/Williams Sonoma Cookbook" and the "Mayo Clinic Health Letter." She contributes to the strategic direction of nutrition, healthy eating and healthy recipes content, including creating recipes and menus, preparing and reviewing nutrition content, contributing to the Nutrition-wise blog, and answering nutrition questions.
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Question
High-fructose corn syrup: What are the health concerns?
What are the health concerns about high-fructose corn syrup?
Answer
from Jennifer K. Nelson, R.D., L.D.
High-fructose corn syrup, sometimes called corn sugar, has become a popular ingredient in sodas and fruit-flavored drinks. In fact, high-fructose corn syrup is the most common added sweetener in processed foods and beverages. Given how ubiquitous high-fructose corn syrup is, some people are concerned about possible adverse health effects.
Research studies have yielded mixed results about the possible adverse effects of consuming high-fructose corn syrup. Although high-fructose corn syrup is chemically similar to table sugar (sucrose), concerns have been raised because of how high-fructose corn syrup is processed. Some believe that your body reacts differently to high-fructose corn syrup than it does to other types of sugar. But research about high-fructose corn syrup is evolving.
Some research studies have linked consumption of large amounts of any type of added sugar — not just high-fructose corn syrup — to such health problems as weight gain, dental cavities, poor nutrition, and increased triglyceride levels, which can boost your heart attack risk. But there is insufficient evidence to say that high-fructose corn syrup is less healthy than are other types of added sweeteners.
Recommendations from the American Heart Association — not a part of official U.S. dietary guidelines — say that most American women should consume no more than 100 calories a day from added sugar from any source, and that most American men should consume no more than 150 calories a day from added sugar, and that even less is better. That's about 6 teaspoons of added sugar for women and 9 for men.
It's prudent to consume any added sugar only in moderation. Consider these tips to cut back:
- Avoid sugary, nondiet sodas. Drink water or other unsweetened beverages instead.
- Choose breakfast cereals carefully. Although healthy breakfast cereals can contain added sugar to make them more appealing to children, skip the non-nutritious, sugary and frosted cereals.
- Eat fewer processed and packaged foods, such as sweetened grains like cookies and cakes and some microwaveable meals.
- Snack on vegetables, fruit, low-fat cheese, whole-grain crackers, and low-fat, low-calorie yogurt instead of candy, pastries and cookies.
Juicing: What are the health benefits?
- Whitney E, et al. Understanding Nutrition. 11th ed. Belmont Calif.: Thomson Higher Education; 2008.
- Duyff RL. American Dietetic Association Complete Food and Nutrition Guide. 3rd ed. Hoboken, N.J.: John Wiley & Sons Inc.; 2006.
- Johnson RK, et al. Dietary sugars intake and cardiovascular health: A scientific statement from the American Heart Association. Circulation. 2009;120:1011.
- Liu S, et al. Dietary carbohydrates. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Sept. 14, 2010.
- Moeller S, et al. The effects of high fructose syrup. Journal of the American College of Nutrition. 2009;28:619.
- Nelson JK (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic. Rochester, Minn. Sept. 29, 2010.
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