Corn syrup: two products under one name

A meta-analysis of 25 varied trials with 1,744 volunteers, some at high risk of bias, found that swapping high fructose corn syrup for table sugar or glucose at equal calories had no significant effect on cholesterol, triglycerides, blood pressure, fasting glucose or weight. The one exception was a small rise in apolipoprotein B, of uncertain clinical meaning, when HFCS replaced sugar. That finding is about HFCS, the sweetener in soda, which FDA says most often contains 42 or 55 percent fructose with the rest glucose and water. Plain corn syrup is a different product. UK tables list dark corn syrup at 282 calories per 3.5 oz (100 g) with 14.9 g glucose, 9.8 g maltose and only 1.2 g fructose, and the rest of its carbohydrate is longer glucose chains. Most of the research below is on HFCS, and we name the product each study used.

The numbers, per 3.5 oz (100 g)

As people eat it, per 3.5 oz (100 g)

How much is actually in it

• Dark corn syrup in UK composition tables has 282 calories per 3.5 oz (100 g), with 14.9 g glucose and 9.8 g maltose but only 1.2 g fructose. — CoFID 17-064 Syrup, corn, dark Evidence E source
  Per 100 g: energy 282 calories, carbohydrate 76.6 g, total sugars 28.1 g, glucose 14.9 g, maltose 9.8 g, sucrose 2.2 g, fructose 1.2 g, water 22.8 g

What a real portion looks like

• A tablespoon of corn syrup weighs 20 g in US survey data and carries about 57 calories and 15 g of sugars. — USDA FNDDS 91301030 Corn syrup (fdc_id 2710274) Evidence E source
  Per 100 g: 283 calories, total sugars 76.77 g; 1 tablespoon 20 g; 1 cup 320 g

What your body absorbs

• In a 1983 clinical trial, purpose-made corn syrup dextrins, which differ from table syrup, were well digested, and over 85 percent of 32 infants with acute diarrhea tolerated a formula using them as the only carbohydrate. — 32 infants with acute diarrhea in a clinical formula trial of purpose-made corn syrup dextrins (DE10-24), not table syrup, plus perfusion and tolerance tests (n = 32) Evidence C source
  >85% tolerated the corn syrup sugar formula and gained weight at or above expected rate
• In 33 healthy men, 200 g of fructose a day for 2 weeks raised serum uric acid and urine oxalate, changes that favor kidney stones. — 33 healthy men aged 40-65, 200 g fructose/day in 2.1 quarts (2 L) water for 2 weeks (n = 33) Evidence B source
  Serum uric acid up (p<0.001), urine oxalate up (p=0.016), urinary pH down (p=0.02), urinary magnesium down (p=0.003)

What it does to your health

• In 55 adults, 50 g a day of carbohydrate from honey, sucrose or HFCS55 for 2 weeks had similar effects, and all three raised triglycerides. — 28 glucose-tolerant and 27 glucose-intolerant adults, 50 g carbohydrate/day from each sweetener for 2 weeks (n = 55) Evidence B source
  Similar glycemia, lipid and inflammation effects across sweeteners; triglycerides rose with all; hsCRP rose in the glucose-intolerant group
• In young adults over 2 weeks, drinks with high fructose corn syrup at 25 percent of energy needs raised fasting LDL cholesterol by about 16 mg/dL versus no change on aspartame drinks. — adults aged 18-40, BMI 18-35; HFCS at 0% (n=23), 10% (n=18), 17.5% (n=16) or 25% (n=28) of energy requirement (n = 85) Evidence C source
  Fasting LDL change: 0%: -1.0 +/- 3.1; 10%: 7.4 +/- 3.2; 17.5%: 8.2 +/- 3.1; 25%: 15.9 +/- 3.1 mg/dL, P<0.0001

Safety, limits and interactions

• In a US case-control study of 68 infant botulism cases, eating corn syrup was linked with 5.2 times the odds of disease in babies aged 2 months and older. — 68 laboratory-confirmed infant botulism cases outside California, 2 matched controls each (n = 68 cases) Evidence C source
  OR 5.2 for corn syrup ingestion in infants aged 2 months and older (odds, not risk)

What people believe that the data does not support

• A meta-analysis of 25 isoenergetic trials with 1,744 volunteers found that swapping high fructose corn syrup for sucrose or glucose had no significant effect on most cardiometabolic markers. — 25 controlled dietary intervention trials, 1744 volunteers (n = 1744) Evidence A source
  No significant effect on cholesterol, triglycerides, blood pressure, fasting glucose or weight; small rise in apolipoprotein B when HFCS replaced sucrose
• In 138 adults over 10 weeks, milk sweetened with high fructose corn syrup or sucrose at 40, 90 or 150 g sugar a day gave the same hormone and metabolic responses. — 138 adult men and women, 10 weeks of sweetened low-fat milk at 25th, 50th or 90th percentile fructose intake (n = 138) Evidence B source
  No group differences between HFCS and sucrose (interaction P>.05); insulin, leptin and triglyceride AUC rose over time in all groups
• FDA states that the common forms of high fructose corn syrup contain 42 or 55 percent fructose, with the rest glucose and water. — US food supply Evidence E source
  HFCS 42 and HFCS 55

Who this works differently for

• Among 45 six-month-old infants, those fed formula based on corn syrup solids had more variable blood glucose than infants fed breast milk or lactose formula. — 45 infants aged about 6 months wearing continuous glucose monitors for 3-8 days (n = 45) Evidence C source
  About 46% of CGM metrics differed, all between corn syrup solids formula and other groups
• In the Framingham Offspring Cohort, drinking HFCS-sweetened soda about once a day was linked with 49 percent higher asthma risk than never or seldom. — adults in the Framingham Offspring Cohort Evidence C source
  HR 1.91 for combined HFCS soda, fruit drinks and apple juice 5-7 times/week; +49% for daily HFCS soda, P<0.011

What is still unknown

• A 2014 systematic review found the evidence too weak to say whether high fructose corn syrup or sucrose causes fatty liver disease, as excess calories appeared to explain the links. — 6 observational and 21 intervention studies in children and adults (n = 27 studies) Evidence C source
  Insufficient evidence for HFCS or sucrose effects on NAFLD
• A 2025 systematic review screened nearly 17,000 records and found only one eligible study on high fructose corn syrup and liver injury in adults. — English-language human studies in adults with low or no alcohol intake (n = 1 study) Evidence C source
  1 non-randomized study included of 16,955 screened

The bottom line

A tablespoon of corn syrup weighs 20 g in US survey coding and carries about 57 calories and 15 g of sugars. USDA lists 76.77 g sugars per 3.5 oz (100 g) against 28.1 g in the UK table for dark syrup, and the two datasets count sugars differently, so the figures should not be mixed. In 138 adults over 10 weeks, low-fat milk sweetened with HFCS or sucrose at 40, 90 or 150 g sugar a day gave the same hormone and metabolic responses, from a research group with industry funding. In 55 adults, 50 g a day of carbohydrate from honey, sucrose or HFCS55 for two weeks had similar effects, and all three raised triglycerides. In young adults drinking HFCS at 25 percent of their energy needs for two weeks, fasting LDL rose by 15.9 mg/dL against a fall of 1.0 on aspartame drinks, in a study without randomization at doses above usual intake. Whether HFCS or sugar causes fatty liver is open. A 2014 systematic review of 27 studies found the evidence insufficient, with excess calories appearing to explain the links, and a 2025 review screened 16,955 records and found a single eligible non-randomized study on HFCS and liver injury in adults. Some infant formulas are based on corn syrup solids. Among 45 six-month-old infants wearing glucose monitors, those on such formula had more variable blood glucose, with about 46 percent of the monitor metrics differing, in a small cross-sectional study. In a 1983 study, over 85 percent of 32 infants with acute diarrhea tolerated a formula whose only carbohydrate was purpose-made corn syrup dextrins, which differ from table syrup, in a clinical trial. In adults of the Framingham Offspring Cohort, HFCS-sweetened soda about once a day was linked with a 49 percent higher asthma risk than never or seldom, an observational link with only a hypothesis for why. We found no study on what heating or cooking does to corn syrup. Who should be careful. In a 1989 US case-control study of 68 infant botulism cases, eating corn syrup was linked with 5.2 times the odds of disease in babies aged 2 months and older. That is the only infant botulism study we hold on corn syrup, and nothing on this page supports giving corn syrup to a baby. In 33 healthy men, 200 g of fructose a day in water for two weeks raised serum uric acid and urine oxalate, changes that favor kidney stones. That drink was pure fructose at a dose far above normal intake. We have no card on corn syrup in pregnancy, allergy or drug interactions.

Sources

1. csyr-daily-r4-13 · food composition dataset
   CoFID 2021 17-064 Syrup, corn, dark: Energy (kcal) 282 | Carbohydrate (g) 76.6 | Total sugars (g) 28.1 | Glucose (g) 14.9 | Maltose (g) 9.8 | Sucrose (g) 2.2 | Fructose (g) 1.2 | Water (g) 22.8
   CoFID 2021, Public Health England (OGL v3.0), code 17-064 · checked 2026-09-29
2. csyr-daily-r4-14 · reference dataset
   FNDDS 91301030 Corn syrup (fdc_id 2710274): 1 tablespoon 20 g | 1 cup 320 g | Quantity not specified 40 g || Energy 283 kcal | Total Sugars 76.77 g per 100 g
   USDA FNDDS (FoodData Central survey foods), code 91301030, fdc_id 2710274 · checked 2026-09-29
3. csyr-daily-r4-07 · clinical study
   More than 85% of the infants beginning the clinical trial tolerated the formula well and gained weight at or above the expected rate for age during the study interval.
   J Pediatr, 1983 · checked 2026-09-29
4. csyr-daily-r4-11 · randomized trial, secondary analysis
   Ingestion of fructose was associated with an increased serum level of uric acid (p < 0.001), a decrease in serum ionized calcium (p = 0.003) with a mild increase in PTH (p < 0.05) and a drop in urinary pH (p = 0.02), an increase in urine oxalate (p = 0.016) and decrease in urinary magnesium (p = 0.003).
   BMC Nephrol, 2018 · checked 2026-09-29
5. csyr-daily-r4-03 · randomized crossover trial
   Daily intake of 50 g carbohydrate from honey, sucrose, or HFCS55 for 14 d resulted in similar effects on measures of glycemia, lipid metabolism, and inflammation. All 3 increased TG concentrations in both GT and IGT individuals and elevated glycemic and inflammatory responses in the latter.
   J Nutr, 2015 · checked 2026-09-29
6. csyr-daily-r4-04 · controlled intervention study
   fasting LDL cholesterol (0%: -1.0 ± 3.1; 10%: 7.4 ± 3.2; 17.5%: 8.2 ± 3.1; 25%: 15.9 ± 3.1 mg/dL, P < 0.0001)
   Am J Clin Nutr, 2015 · checked 2026-09-29
7. csyr-daily-r4-08 · case-control study
   For infants 2 months of age and older, breast-feeding (odds ratio = 3.8), less than one bowel movement per day for at least 2 months (odds ratio = 2.9), and ingestion of corn syrup (odds ratio = 5.2) were associated with disease.
   Am J Dis Child, 1989 · checked 2026-09-29
8. csyr-daily-r4-01 · meta-analysis
   Twenty-five studies involving 1744 volunteers were identified. No significant effects were found when fructose or HFCS was substituted for glucose, except for a slight decrease in diastolic blood pressure when fructose was substituted for glucose. Similarly, no effects were found when fructose or HFCS was substituted for sucrose, except for a small increase, of uncertain clinical significance, of apolipoprotein B when HFCS was substituted for sucrose.
   Nutr Rev, 2021 · checked 2026-09-29
9. csyr-daily-r4-02 · randomized controlled trial
   There were no group differences at baseline or posttesting for all outcomes (interaction, P > .05).
   Nutr Res, 2013 · checked 2026-09-29
10. csyr-daily-r4-12 · agency position
    The most common forms of HFCS contain either 42 percent or 55 percent fructose, as described in the Code of Federal Regulations (21 CFR 184.1866), and these are referred to in the industry as HFCS 42 and HFCS 55. The rest of the HFCS is glucose and water.
    US FDA, High Fructose Corn Syrup Questions and Answers (content current as of 2018-01-04) · checked 2026-09-29
11. csyr-daily-r4-09 · cross-sectional study
    Approximately 46% of CGM-derived metrics differed significantly across feeding strategies, all reflecting contrasts between CSS-based formula and other groups; no metrics differed among human milk, lactose-based formula, or mixed feeding.
    Am J Clin Nutr, 2026 · checked 2026-09-29
12. csyr-daily-r4-10 · cohort study
    About once a day consumers of HFCS-sweetened soda had a 49 % higher risk (P<0·011), moderate apple juice consumers (2-4 times/week) had a 61 % higher risk (P<0·007) and moderate fruit drink consumers had a 58 % higher risk (P<0·009), as compared with never/seldom consumers.
    Br J Nutr, 2018 · checked 2026-09-29
13. csyr-daily-r4-05 · systematic review
    There was insufficient evidence to draw a conclusion for effects of HFCS or sucrose on NAFLD.
    Am J Clin Nutr, 2014 · checked 2026-09-29
14. csyr-daily-r4-06 · systematic review
    The identification of only a single eligible study emphasizes a stark absence of focused investigations in this area.
    Front Nutr, 2025 · checked 2026-09-29