Does consumption of high fructose corn syrup, as compared to sucrose, reduce the ability of the body to produce insulin?

No. Both have essentially the same effect on insulin production.

Insulin is largely responsible for the uptake of glucose into cells and the lowering of blood sugar. All caloric sweeteners trigger an insulin response to a greater or lesser extent. Among common sweeteners, pure glucose triggers the greatest insulin release, while pure fructose triggers the least. Both sucrose (table sugar) and high fructose corn syrup trigger about the same intermediate insulin release because they contain nearly equal amounts of glucose and fructose. (12)

It is very rare for pure fructose to be consumed alone in the diet. Fructose is usually consumed together with glucose, as it is in high fructose corn syrup, sucrose (table sugar) and honey. It is important to remember that no matter the source of the ingredients—whether from sucrose or HFCS—the human body produces insulin in response to the whole meal consumed.

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