High-Fructose Corn Syrup Toxicity
HFCS was labeled as uniquely fattening after a 2004 study linked it to obesity trends. Michael Pollan’s popular 2008 book furthered this belief among health-conscious Americans. Consumption peaked at 60 pounds per person annually in 1999. Multiple studies now show that high-fructose corn syrup and table sugar metabolize nearly identically in the body. The obesity epidemic relates more to total calorie intake than to specific sweetener types. The American obesity rate hit 42% by 2020.