High Fructose Corn Syrup: Corn Gone Wrong?
This Corny Joke May Be No Laughing Matter. High Fructose Corn Syrup: Is this Corn Gone Wrong?
What is the relationship between High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS) in food products and the occurrence of Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD)? What about the relationship between HFCS and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)? Where is the research? Why are we defending high-fructose corn syrup in television commercials? What is the need for defense? More importantly, why aren’t we, the consumer, asking more questions?
The had done a study of the prevalence of ASD in 8 year olds in eleven Autism and Development Disability Monitoring (ADDM) sites across the United States. This study compared data from 2002 and 2006 and indicated that there was a 57% increase in the prevalence of ASD. An article on the states that Autistic Spectrum Disorder has increased six-fold from 1994 to 2003. In another study, The CDC states that the incidence of diagnosed ADHD has increased 3% per year from 1997 – 2006.
We have been devouring corn in the United States since the Native Americans introduced it to the Pilgrims (well, at least that is how the story goes). Corn has become a United States National Product and High-Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS) can be found in about 1 out of every 10 calories that the average American consumes. It not only is used as a sweetener but also to increase shelf life and product stability. HFCS has been used since the early 1970s. A USDA report indicates that HFCS consumption had increased 28% between 1982 and 1997 and surpassed the consumption of sugar from 1984 to 1997. The consumption of HFCS in 1970 was 17% of sweeteners being consumed and rose to 56% of sweeteners being consumed by 1997. The average American consumes about 49 grams of HFCS daily. HFCS can be found in many packaged-processed foods. HFCS is a product of corn, but it is not completely natural as recent television ads want to boast. The not-so-sweet part of HFCS is that there are several chemicals used to produce it; one of the chemicals is mercury.
Many studies link exposure to neurotoxins such as mercury to incidence of ASD and ADHD Given its toxicity, the American Academy of Pediatrics () recommends minimizing the amount of mercury exposure in childhood in order to promote optimal child health and nervous system development.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2005 did a sampling of HFCS from 3 different HFCS processing facilities. They gathered 20 samples from the 3 facilities and they detected mercury in 9 out of the 20 samples. Dufault and colleagues, researchers from the University of Wisconsin-Platteville (UW-P), analyzed the samples with the FDA. The researchers from the UW-P wanted to gather more samples for analysis but were not allowed to gather further samples. Though mercury was found in these samples, the FDA still did not have a mercury surveillance program for food ingredients, as of September, 2008, when Dufault and colleagues sent their article for publication.
There are too many unanswered questions and too many coincidences; this is not a corny joke. The prevalence of diagnosed ASD and ADHD has been on the rise from the early 1990s until 2006. Although the causes of these disorders are still being researched, available studies indicate that genetic and environmental factors contribute to both ASD and ADHD. There appears to be a connection between the increase in the number of children diagnosed with ASD and ADHD and the rise in the amount of HFCS being consumed.
The FDA requires that the ingredients on packaged foods be listed in the descending order of weight, most to least. As a consumer, it would be beneficial to read food labels and to watch consumption of HFCS until further research on HCFS safety has been conduced, or HCFS is tested after production to ensure it is mercury free.
Consumers beware and don’t fall for the ploy of recent HFCS television ads that make a concerned consumer look ridiculous; ask questions and seek answers. Be an informed consumer and know what you are eating before you put it in your mouth.
Sources: Bradbury, J. et al. (2003). A case-control study of mercury burden in children with autistic spectrum disorder. Journal of American Physicians and Surgeons, 8 (3), 76-79.
Cheuk, D. K. L & Wong, V. (2006). Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder and blood mercury level: a case-control study in Chinese children. Neuropediatrics, 37(4), 234-240
Curtis, L., & Patel, K. (2008). Nutritional and environmental approaches to preventing and treating autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD): A review. Journal of Alternative & Complementary Medicine, 14(1), 79-85.
Dufault, R., LeBlanc, B., Schnoll, R., Cornett, C., Schweitzer, L., Wallinga, D., et al. (2009). Mercury from chlor-alkali plants: measured concentrations in food product sugar. Environmental Health: A Global Access Science Source, 82.
Gans, K. (2009). Are the TV ads correct? High-fructose corn syrup is good for me?. Best Life, 6(2), 24. Retrieved from MasterFILE Premier database.
Geier, D., & Geier, M. (2007). A Prospective Study of Mercury Toxicity Biomarkers in Autistic Spectrum Disorders. Journal of Toxicology & Environmental Health: Part A, 70(20), 1723-1730.
Hertz-Picciotto, I., Croen, L., Hansen, R., Jones, C., J, & Pessah, I. (2006). The CHARGE study: an epidemiologic investigation of genetic and environmental factors contributing to autism. Environmental Health Perspectives, 114(7), 1119-1125.
Wenner, M. (2009). Children of the corn. Mother Jones, 34(4), 16-17.
Author: Melinda Tyler, St. Joseph's College