No candy, no cereal, no ice cream. Deana Olsen was surprised how much she had to give up to avoid products that contain high-fructose corn syrup. Many processed foods include the sweetener, so Olsen, Lawrence senior, started to cook using a lot of fresh ingredients.

Olsen says she felt better since changing her diet, and eventually she gave up high-fructose corn syrup completely. Cooking from scratch required more time and avoiding high-fructose corn syrup limited the food she could enjoy.

U.S. consumers gorged on an average of 136 pounds each of caloric sweeteners in 2007, of which high-fructose corn syrup made up more than 40 percent, according to the Department of Agriculture. However, some consumers, such as Olsen, worry high-fructose corn syrup can cause negative health effects.

Olsen originally avoided the syrup as part of an allergy test. She found she wasn’t allergic to it, but she says she’s still uncomfortable consuming products containing the syrup. Olsen says the process of making high-fructose corn syrup seems “chemically” and “unnatural,” compared with table sugar or honey.

Researchers don’t have strong evidence that high-fructose corn syrup is more unhealthy than other forms of caloric sweeteners, says Yong-Cheng Shi, associate professor of grain science and industry at Kansas State University. High-fructose corn syrup is made from corn starch. The process involves enzymes, but Shi says the syrup can be considered natural, unlike many low-calorie sweeteners consisting of chemicals.

High-fructose corn syrup making people fat and sick is another misconception that consumers often have. Shi says that high-fructose corn syrup is as sweet as ordinary sugar derived from cane and that they both supply the same number of calories. The American Medical Association also reported last year that high-fructose corn syrup does not contribute more to obesity than other caloric sweeteners in response to some consumers’ concerns.

Richard Johnson, researcher at the University of Colorado, has studied the link between fructose consumption and the epidemic in obesity, diabetes and the metabolic syndrome. His research team found fructose contained in corn syrup and table sugar could cause the body to produce more uric acid, which induced the metabolic syndrome.

Both high-fructose corn syrup and table sugar consist of fructose and glucose. “Human bodies cannot tell the difference between high-fructose corn syrup and regular sugar once it’s digested,” Shi says.

Johnson, coauthor of The Sugar Fix, compares the different health effects that high-fructose corn syrup and table sugar can create. He says the free sugar molecules in high-fructose corn syrup—glucose and fructose—can be absorbed immediately in the body, compared with table sugar, in which the two molecules are linked. Fructose absorbed from the corn syrup circulates the blood and filters through the liver. He says the research is still under peer review, but it shows the different abilities of high-fructose corn syrup and table sugar to cause fatty liver disease. His research group found that rats fed high-fructose corn syrup had developed more fatty liver than the rats fed table sugar.

Don’t let sugar control your life. Whether it’s high-fructose corn syrup or other sugar, awareness and moderation are the keys to good health, says Marty Glenn, KU lecturer in nutrition and dietician at Leavenworth VA Medical Center. Some people choose honey, maple syrup and brown sugar over high-fructose corn syrup. However, Glenn says they all contain higher calories and hardly any nutritious value. Honey and maple syrup can be as unhealthy as high-fructose corn syrup, if you consume the same amount.

Excessive sugar consumption can cause many health problems, including weight gain, obesity and diabetes. Glenn says counting your sugar consumption and limiting it to 20 to 30 grams a day keeps your body heathy. For example, a can of soda contains more than 35 grams of sugar. Glenn suggests switching to sugar-free soda, if you drink a soft drink every day or with every meal. When fountain soda is available, you can fill the glass half with regular cola and the other half with sugar-free cola. This way, you can still enjoy some of regular cola flavor, he says.

Kelly Berkson, Keene, New Hampshire, graduate student, grew up drinking small amounts of soft drinks, unlike many of her friends. She was occasionally given fruit juice, which she considered a treat. She says this attitude helps her be aware of consuming sweet products, while some people have sweets so often and casually.

“I like having ice cream and other sweets, but I still consider them like treats,” Keene says. “But some people take them for granted.”