Recent research shows the disparity in the metabolism of the sugars, glucose and fructose, in our body. However, these studies do not confirm if high-fructose corn syrup is a bigger dietary rogue than other sugars added to processed foods.

This is suspected to be mainly because high-fructose corn syrup is chemically similar to other widely used sweeteners, including table sugar (sucrose), honey, and also the sweeteners synthesized from concentrated fruit juices.

All of these contain glucose and fructose in more or less same amounts. The high-fructose corn syrup used in most soft drinks and other sweetened beverages in the U. S. contains about 55% fructose and 45% glucose, while the table sugar contains 50:50 fructose-glucose ratio.

The study involved 32 overweight men and women whose average age was 50. Over a period of ten weeks these patients were made to intake either glucose- or fructose-sweetened beverages, totaling 25% of their daily calorie intake, either in an outpatient setting (for eight weeks) or highly restricted inpatient setting (for two weeks).

It was found that both the groups gained weight but the group consuming glucose gathered more subcutaneous (under the skin) fat while the group consuming fructose gained weight in the belly.

Herein lays the difference because belly fat, not the subcutaneous fat, is linked to heart problems.