This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2015, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
There's a new incentive to avoid the candy bars.
University of Utah biologists say their research shows corn syrup is more toxic than table sugar.
At least that's the case for female mice, who had higher death rates and reproduced less frequently.
With male mice, it's possible both sweeteners are equally toxic. Researchers reported no significant changes in male mice fed corn syrup.
Researcher James Ruff advises consumers, "First, reduce added sugar across the board. Then worry about the type of sugar, and decrease consumption of products with high-fructose corn syrup."
Senior author Wayne Potts expects the study to appear in the March 2015 issue of The Journal of Nutrition.
Researchers at the U. used nearly 400 square-foot "mouse barns" to study the sweetener's impact. Similar studies have documented the harmful effects of the antidepressant Paxil, inbreeding and a diet high in sugar — the human equivalent of three cans of soda daily.
The National Institutes of Health and National Science Foundation paid for the study.
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