Corn Refiners Association disputes added sugars and heart risk link

21-Aug-2011 - Last updated on 22-Aug-2011 at 15:30 GMT

The Corn Refiners Association (CRA) has disputed the findings of a recent study that suggested a link between added sugars in the diet – including high fructose corn syrup – and risk factors for heart disease.

The CRA, a trade association that represents the corn refining industry in the United States, said that the study, published in the Endocrine Society's Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, should not alarm consumers.

Consultant to the food industry and cardiologist Dr. James Rippe said in a CRA statement: “This study shows very small differences in low normal lipid values for the metabolic measurements. There is not a shred of evidence that going from one low normal level to another low normal level increases risk factors for heart disease.”

The study

The study’s authors, led by Kimber Stanhope of the University of California, Davis, said they aimed to account for the discrepancy between the American Heart Association (AHA) recommendation that people should get no more than 5% of their daily calories from added sugars, and the US Department of Agriculture’s recommended upper limit of 25%.

They set out to examine whether the 25 percent level could have a harmful effect on heart health and reported that consumption of three beverages sweetened with high fructose corn syrup per day over a two-week period, as part of an energy-balanced diet, increased risk factors for heart disease, including blood levels of cholesterol and triglycerides.

Limitations

However, Dr. Rippe said that the study sample of 48 adults was too small to be able to draw reliable conclusions, and also criticized the fact that it did not include sucrose – a factor that the study’s authors had also noted as a limitation.

He said: “This is a very short-term study using a small sampling, and confirming earlier research finding no clinically relevant changes to the measured parameters, all within normal levels. Consumers should not be alarmed by the claims made by these researchers.”

A communications manager for The Sugar Association also objected to the study, saying that there were several inconsistencies, and that the study focused on fructose, glucose, and high fructose corn syrup — not sucrose.

3 comments

Bad Study, Useless Results

Posted by Sarah Johnson, 30 August 2011 - 15:29 GMT

The study was poorly designed and the conclusions were poorly drawn. Nevertheless, studies like this get around in the form of headlines and do serious damage to helping anyone actually eat better.

Report abuse

Soft drinks endanger health

Posted by Windy Daley, 24 August 2011 - 21:29 GMT

High fructose corn syrup is in sodas--and that's where many Americans over step their sugar intake. I think that many more independent research studies should be done to protect the American consumer. I certainly would not consider any research completed by Dr. Rippe who doesn't seem to realize that different sugars have different chemical formulas--besides he's paid to say what he says by the corn refiners who indirectly (through subsidies) use some of the many millions of America's tax dollars to pay him.

Report abuse

Added sugars and heart risk link

Posted by Bob Anderson, 22 August 2011 - 17:28 GMT

I am disappointed with the group of researchers would go through all the time and labor for a study about added sugars and leave a huge populace of consumers who have cereal and coffee every day with added sugar out of the mix??????

Report abuse