You’ve been hearing all of the sugar debates lately. You know you should avoid “high-fructose corn syrup.” But why? Is sugar sugar? Or are there truly differences that make some “healthier” than others?

What you need to know …

- High-fructose corn syrup is a sweetener made from corn. The corn industry is pushing to coin high-fructose corn syrup “corn sugar.” But the sugar industry is opposed to them intermingling with the term “sugar.”

- The corn industry claims that high-fructose corn syrup does not contain any artificial or synthetic ingredients and that the process to make sugar is similar to that of high-fructose corn syrup. The sugar industry claims there is no naturally occurring fructose in corn or corn starch and that high-fructose corn syrup is a man-made product that existed only after 1960.

- The corn industry claims high-fructose corn syrup is comprised of two simple sugars – glucose and fructose – and has the same caloric value as table sugar. The sugar industry disagrees and argues there are molecular differences between high-fructose corn syrup and sugar and that the body processes them differently. There are studies that link high-fructose corn syrup with health problems like obesity and high cholesterol.