April 9, 2026
What Food Additives Should I Avoid the Most?
This guide breaks down the top 5 food additives with the strongest evidence of harm so you can avoid them to eat cleaner and feel better.
High Fructose Corn Syrup
Sugar
- Potentially Harmful
Added Sugar
May be Bioengineered
Definition
A modified corn syrup that has an increased amount of fructose made from the enzymatic conversion of glucose.
Also Known As
Corn Sugar, Isoglucose, HFCS, glucose-fructose syrup
Health Impact
Over consumption of fructose in this form is a major cause of heart disease, obesity, cancer, dementia, liver failure, tooth decay, and other diseases. High fructose corn syrup increases the fat content in the liver which leads to many diseases. It also increases appetite and promotes obesity more than regular sugar. Corn syrup that is not labeled as organic or non-GMO is likely sourced from GMO or bioengineered corn. Check for the warning "Contains a bioengineered ingredient" in the ingredients list to confirm. Excessive added sugar intake is associated with adverse health conditions, including obesity, metabolic syndrome, and inflammatory diseases. Excessive sugar consumption may trigger neuroadaptations in the brain that decouple eating behavior from caloric needs and leads to compulsive overeating. The American Heart Association suggests an added-sugar limit of no more than 24 grams of sugar for most women and no more than 36 grams of sugar for most men each day.
Sources
- What Makes High Fructose Corn Syrup So Bad?
Hartford Health Care - Hartford Hospital
- Avoid the Hidden Dangers of High Fructose Corn Syrup
Cleveland Clinic
- New Research Exposes the Health Risks of Fructose and Sugary Drinks
American College of Cardiology
- Adverse metabolic effects of dietary fructose: results from the recent epidemiological, clinical, and mechanistic studies
Pub Med
- The Effects of Fructose-Containing Sugars on Weight, Body Composition and Cardiometabolic Risk Factors When Consumed at up to the 90th Percentile Population Consumption Level for Fructose
National Library of Medicine
- Added Sugar in the Diet
Harvard School of Public Health
- Impact of sugar on the body, brain, and behavior
Pub Med
