Is brown sugar syrup better than high fructose corn syrup?
In short, they're all about the same. Our bodies break down table sugar and HFCS 55 in nearly the same manner, so there's no fundamental difference between the two. Sugars have no nutritional value. They can increase the risk of high blood pressure, Type 2 diabetes, heart disease and unhealthy weight gain.
The Takeaway. Brown rice syrup is not a healthier option compared to white sugar, high-fructose corn syrup, or other sugar alternatives. Just because it's not refined sugar and appears in many organic foods doesn't mean it's necessarily healthy.
Is Invert Sugar as Bad for You as High Fructose Corn Syrup? High fructose corn syrup has more fructose to glucose than invert sugar, making it a less healthy choice.
If you are looking for healthier substitutes, honey, agave nectar, and maple syrup would be the best options. These have the lowest sugar content. Substitutes such as brown rice syrup and molasses contain similarly high amounts of sugar and therefore are not the healthiest of options.
Soda Without HFCS
On its Products Facts website, the Coca-Cola Company lists several sodas without HFCS, such as Diet Coke, Fanta Zero and Sprite Zero. Diet sodas typically use artificial sweeteners to cut down on calories.
To avoid HFCS, always choose fruit that is canned in its natural juice. Better yet, choose whole fruit so you don't have to worry about any added ingredients.
When in doubt, stick primarily with pure maple syrup. Agave nectar provides fewer nutrients than raw honey or pure maple syrup.
Contrary to common belief, they are nutritionally similar. Brown sugar contains slightly more minerals than white sugar but will not provide any health benefits.
- Stevia. Stevia is a very popular low calorie sweetener. ...
- Erythritol. Erythritol is another low calorie sweetener. ...
- Xylitol. Xylitol is a sugar alcohol with a sweetness similar to that of sugar. ...
- Yacon syrup. Yacon syrup is another unique sweetener. ...
- Monk fruit sweetener.
Fructose-Free Foods
Sweeteners that are low in fructose include turbinado sugar -- a common type of raw sugar with higher molasses content -- cane sugar, real maple syrup and most sugar substitutes such as aspartame.
Which is worse high fructose corn syrup or cane sugar?
Thus, sugar and high-fructose corn syrup are exactly the same from a health perspective. Many studies show that sugar and high-fructose corn syrup have similar effects on health and metabolism. Both are harmful when consumed in excess.
Mexican Coke is made using cane sugar as the sweetener, and the version typically sold in the United States uses high fructose corn syrup as the sweetening agent.

Maple syrup
It's a great addition to many dishes and can be swapped in for an equal amount of corn syrup in most recipes, including glazes, frostings, and homemade jams. However, keep in mind that using maple syrup instead of corn syrup may change the flavor and color of your final product.
Brown Rice Syrup
A healthy substitute for corn syrup, it provides your body with fiber and, according to LIVESTRONG, about 3 percent of the recommended daily intake of potassium and sodium. The consistency of brown rice syrup is similar to corn syrup with a nutty flavor that resembles cooked brown rice.
You can replace 1 cup of corn syrup with one of these simple substitutes: 1 cup sugar dissolved in 1/4 cup warm water. 1 cup honey. 1 cup light molasses.
Product Description. Hals New York Ginger ale is made with natural cane sugar, doesn't contain high fructose corn syrup and the ginger flavor comes from real ginger.
INGREDIENTS CARBONATED WATER, HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP, CARAMEL COLOR, PHOSPHORIC ACID, ARTIFICIAL AND NATURAL FLAVORS, SODIUM BENZOATE (PRESERVATIVE), CAFFEINE.
Coke Zero is zeroing out in the U.S., to be replaced by Coca-Cola Zero Sugar, which contains the exact same artificial sweeteners — aspartame and acesulfame K — but is said to taste more like regular Coca-Cola which, actually, might be called Coca-Cola Zero Real Sugar since it is sweetened with high fructose corn syrup ...
Tillamook® Ice Cream is still, and will always be, made with high quality ingredients, more cream and less air than the industry standard for ice cream, with no artificial flavors or sweeteners, no synthetic colors, and no high fructose corn syrup.
HFCS is one of the most popular sweeteners in these products. Peanut and other nut butters: Peanut butter might seem to be a savory treat, but it is actually very sweet. Many peanut butter manufacturers add sugar, and some add HFCS. The same is true of some other nut butters, such as cashew and almond butter.
Does oatmeal have high fructose corn syrup?
Processed, instant oatmeal is often very high in high fructose corn syrup because of the added flavourings. Processed oatmeal that comes in instant packets is often full of HFCS, as well as lots of chemicals and additives.
Rank | Product | Type of Sweetener |
---|---|---|
1. | Lakanto Sugar Free Maple Syrup | Monk fruit extract |
2. | ChocZero's Maple Syrup | Monk fruit extract |
3. | Mrs. Butterworth's Sugar Free Syrup | Sorbitol |
4. | Pyure Organic Maple Syrup | Erythritol, stevia leaf extract |
Sucralose — "safe"
It is stable under high heat, making it ideal for baking, and it's often found in soft drinks, iced teas, sauces, syrups, chewing gum, power bars, protein powders, and baked goods. Sucralose is about 600 times sweeter than plain old sugar.
Aunt Jemima original syrup has 0% real maple syrup and has none of the nutrients that actual maple syrup provides. The next time you ask yourself if your favorite pancake syrup is gluten free, vegan or how many calories it has; dive deeper into the ingredients to make sure it is not toxic!
Natural Sugar Is Not Linked to Inflammation
Other common forms include high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS), sucrose, fructose, glucose and corn sugar. Among US adults, around 13% of total calories come from added sugar.
Despite slight differences in taste, brown and white sugar have a very similar nutrient profile and effect on blood sugar levels. Therefore, brown sugar does not provide any benefits to people with diabetes. Everyone — but especially people with this condition — should moderate their sugar intake for optimal health.
Honey. Honey is easily one of the most commonly found unrefined sweeteners out there.
You can use most sugar substitutes if you have diabetes, including: Saccharin (Sweet'N Low) Aspartame (NutraSweet) Acesulfame potassium (Sunett)
- Monk fruit extract. Monk fruit naturally contains mogrosides, a type of antioxidant responsible for the sweet taste of this treat. ...
- Stevia. ...
- Erythritol. ...
- Fresh fruit.
Most people find that erythritol has a very similar taste to sugar and find the two indistinguishable. It even caramelizes like sugar. However, the main difference in terms of taste is that erythritol can have a cooling effect in the mouth, similar to mint.
Is brown sugar high-fructose?
Brown sugar is white sugar with molasses added to it. The level of brownness is related to how much molasses has been added to the white sugar. This type of sugar is also 50 percent fructose and 50 percent glucose.
Fresh sweet potatoes also contained fructose and glucose. Both fructose and glucose contents were less than sucrose. Meanwhile, all of these fresh sweet potato cultivars contained more glucose than fructose.
INTESTINE FRIENDLY | FOODS TO AVOID | QUESTIONABLE FOODS/LIMIT |
---|---|---|
Asparagus, cauliflower*, green peppers*, broccoli*, leafy greens, celery, mushrooms, white potatoes, shallots, spinach, pea pods, cucumber*, beans*, other root vegetables | None | Tomatoes, corn, carrot, sweet potatoes |
Sorry to burst your sweet, clean-eating bubble, but it looks like honey is no better for your body than table sugar or the evil high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS), according to a new study in The Journal of Nutrition.
Previous research led by Gomez-Pinilla found that fructose damages communication between brain cells and increases toxic molecules in the brain; and that a long-term high-fructose diet diminishes the brain's ability to learn and remember information.
“High fructose corn syrup also contributes to diabetes, inflammation, high triglycerides, and something we call non-alcoholic fatty liver disease,” says Dr. Hyman. He says it increases all the fat in the liver which now affects over 90 million Americans. “It can even cause fibrosis or what we call cirrhosis.
Typically, restaurants get their soda syrups in plastic bags, but Coca-Cola does something different for McDonald's. The fast-food chain gets its Coke syrup delivered in stainless steel tanks. According to the New York Times, the material keeps the soda fresher, and your tongue can taste the difference.
While most fast food restaurants have their Coca-Cola syrup delivered to them in plastic bags, McDonald's gets their syrup specially delivered in stainless steel tanks. The special tanks keep the syrup fresh and protect it from light, temperature, air, and anything else that might take away from its delicious flavor.
Mexican Coca-Cola uses cane sugar. According to the Food Network, cane sugar is less processed than high-fructose corn syrup. So, for those who would prefer to drink a more natural version of the product, that one swap alone is enough to switch from American to Mexican Coke.
Karo syrup is a popular brand of corn syrup, which is obtained from corn starch that is derived from maize. It is a concentrated solution of several sugars, such as glucose (dextrose), derived from corn starch. Because of various sugars, corn syrup has a naturally mild sweet taste.
Is maple syrup more healthy than corn syrup?
Important differences between Corn syrup and Maple syrup
Corn syrup has less Manganese, Vitamin B2, Zinc, and Calcium. Maple syrup's daily need coverage for Manganese is 122% more. Corn syrup has 13 times more Sodium than Maple syrup. Corn syrup has 155mg of Sodium, while Maple syrup has 12mg.
Dextrose or glucose is a good sweetener for desserts, drinks or baked goods. However, the sweetening power is significantly lower, and dextrose contains up to 10% water, which makes doughs or desserts more fluid - this must be considered when baking. If you want to bake fructose free, glucose is a good substitute.
- Maple Syrup.
- Cane Syrup.
- Honey.
- Brown Rice Syrup.
- Agave Nectar.
Epicurious notes that golden syrup can be used as a one-to-one substitution for corn syrup, including in candy-making. You might notice a slight flavor difference if you reach for golden syrup to replace corn syrup, but it shouldn't change the texture of the recipe.
Better bets: Opt for tortillas made from brown rice or sprouted grains or make your own. Serve brown rice or more adventurous whole grains (like teff, quinoa, or amaranth) instead of polenta. Snack on nuts, hummus, and gluten-free pretzels instead of corn chips.
Karo syrup is a commercially prepared corn syrup. The syrup is made from cornstarch. It's typically used to make foods sweet and moist while also preventing the crystallization of sugar. There are different kinds of corn syrup marketed under the “Karo” name.
It is known, however, that too much added sugar of all kinds — not just high-fructose corn syrup — can contribute unwanted calories that are linked to health problems, such as weight gain, type 2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome and high triglyceride levels. All of these boost your risk of heart disease.
Karo syrup is a commercial corn syrup derived from the starch of maize. Corn syrup is an old home remedy for constipation. It has a laxative effect due to the action of corn syrup in the intestines.
High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS)
Researchers have shown associations between drinking beverages sweetened with HFCS or sugar can increase blood pressure and some risk factors for heart disease. However, at this time, there is no clear conclusion that HFCS is any worse than other added sugars.
Is corn syrup as bad as high fructose corn syrup? According to many medical experts, including the American Heart Association, corn syrup is not as bad as high fructose corn syrup (HFCS). High fructose corn syrup specifically is implicated in a variety of diseases such as obesity, heart diseases, and type 2 diabetes.
Is there high fructose corn syrup in brown sugar?
Brown sugar is white sugar with molasses added to it. The level of brownness is related to how much molasses has been added to the white sugar. This type of sugar is also 50 percent fructose and 50 percent glucose.
Since cane sugar is made of sucrose, it's essentially a mix between corn syrup and high fructose corn syrup, since it's a mixture of glucose and sucrose. It is less sweet than fructose, so more cane sugar is required in recipes to gain the same amount of sweetness.
Fructose-Free Foods
Sweeteners that are low in fructose include turbinado sugar -- a common type of raw sugar with higher molasses content -- cane sugar, real maple syrup and most sugar substitutes such as aspartame.
Brown sugar is definitely a healthier option than refined white sugar. It is processed in a completely natural way to maintain as much of the sugarcane's natural nutrition as possible, including vitamins and minerals.
Perhaps you figured pure cane sugar is somehow better than processed food and drink that use high-fructose corn syrup. But this study suggests they both offer the same risk.
Previous research led by Gomez-Pinilla found that fructose damages communication between brain cells and increases toxic molecules in the brain; and that a long-term high-fructose diet diminishes the brain's ability to learn and remember information.
“High fructose corn syrup also contributes to diabetes, inflammation, high triglycerides, and something we call non-alcoholic fatty liver disease,” says Dr. Hyman. He says it increases all the fat in the liver which now affects over 90 million Americans. “It can even cause fibrosis or what we call cirrhosis.
Despite slight differences in taste, brown and white sugar have a very similar nutrient profile and effect on blood sugar levels. Therefore, brown sugar does not provide any benefits to people with diabetes. Everyone — but especially people with this condition — should moderate their sugar intake for optimal health.
Because of its molasses content, brown sugar does contain certain minerals, most notably calcium, potassium, iron and magnesium (white sugar contains none of these). But since these minerals are present in only minuscule amounts, there is no real health benefit to using brown sugar.
Answer From M. Regina Castro, M.D. Generally, there's no advantage to substituting honey for sugar in a diabetes eating plan. Both honey and sugar will affect your blood sugar level.
Does Mexican Coke have high-fructose corn syrup?
Mexican Coke is made using cane sugar as the sweetener, and the version typically sold in the United States uses high fructose corn syrup as the sweetening agent.
Sorry to burst your sweet, clean-eating bubble, but it looks like honey is no better for your body than table sugar or the evil high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS), according to a new study in The Journal of Nutrition.
High fructose corn syrup (HFCS) and regular sugar are about the same, nutritionally. Both may negatively impact your health, but are fine to consume in moderation. Eating too much of either one might promote weight gain, and neither sweetener has any nutritive value beyond the calories.