Really, Our Research Isn't Biased! We Swear!

So I was looking at an interesting headline by my alma mater, the University of Washington.

Study shows cane sugar, corn sweeteners have similar effects on appetite

Which reports to show that high-fructose corn syrup, especially when used in sodas, really isn't all that different than regular cane-sugar.

A new study of sweetened beverages shows that cane sugar and high fructose corn syrup have similar effects on hunger, fullness, and food consumption at lunch. According to the study, which appears in the July issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, this may be because sucrose (table sugar) in beverages splits into glucose and fructose molecules, such as are present in high-fructose corn syrup. The results suggest that while appetite and food intake are influenced by the number of calories consumed earlier, the types of sugars consumed in those calories seem to make little or no difference.

"Some companies have made a sincere effort to put sucrose back in soda," said Dr. Adam Drewnowski, director of the Nutritional Sciences Program at the University of Washington and the senior author of the study. "But there is no direct link between the type of sweetener and obesity. As far as appetite is concerned, cane and corn sugars in beverages are much the same."

And before I even got to the end of the press release, I thought to myself "Hey I wonder if this study was funded by the Corn Syrup Industry?"

Yup.

This study was supported by grants from the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research at the National Institutes of Health, the American Beverage Association, and the Corn Refiners Association.