Someone recently presented me with this question and as a food and lifestyle coach, it’s my job to find answers to everyday questions and share the information with you so you can make healthy choices in your journey.

Corn syrup is made by extracting from the corn starch from yellow corn plant and made into glucose by breaking it down with enzymes (amylase).

High Fructose Corn Syrup is also made by extracting the corn starch from the plant but it is put through more processes adding three additional enzymes separately to turn it from glucose to fructose then additional glucose is added to turn it into high fructose which changes the molecular arrangement. HFCS also contains mercury in toxic levels due to the chlor-alkali products used in the processing. This process makes more sugar for less money; at the expense of our health. HFCS and corn syrup alike has NO nutritional value, it requires more energy by your body to be absorbed and it depletes your ‘energy fuel’ source in your gut that keeps your intestinal lining healthy and intact. This depletion causes holes in the lining and leaks gut bacteria which causes full body inflammation and a wide array of diseases like diabetes, cancer, heart disease, Alzheimer’s & obesity.

What about corn sugar? Farmers are trying to have the words “corn sugar” registered for use in place of high fructose corn syrup so beware of so-called healthier options for HFCS, corn syrup and sugar. All sugar is harmful when used in higher amounts than necessary. Natural sugars such as those in fruit and vegetables are healthy sugars for fuel when eaten in its natural form and in moderation.