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Corn syrup, the sweetener of choice for many food manufacturers because it's cheap and easy to blend, is proving to be linked to diabetes, new research shows. Some scientists have suggested high fructose corn syrup may be contributing to the increase in diabetes and obesity. The food industry denies there is a link.

Researchers from Rutgers University in New Brunswick, N.J., analyzed the chemical content of 11 different carbonated drinks containing high fructose corn syrup. They report they found very high levels of what are called reactive carbonyls in the sodas tested. Reactive carbonyls are highly reactive compounds believed to cause tissue damage. They are also elevated in the blood of those with diabetes and have been linked to complications of the disease. One can of soda contains five-times the concentration of reactive carbonyls compared to the concentration found in the blood of an adult person with diabetes.

Adding a compound found in tea — epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) — to soda significantly reduces the levels of reactive carbonyl researchers also report. More research on the link is in the works.