Is high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) at the root of the obesity epidemic in America? Maybe not, says a recently launched lineup of commercials produced by the Corn Refiners Association. Ads state that the sweetener popular in sodas and processed foods, is made from corn that has no artificial ingredients and is fine in moderation.  “This is designed to correct the record,” says Audrae Erickson, the association’s president, adding that it’s “not a campaign to drive consumption” of corn syrup.

Erickson hopes to counteract the belief that HFCS—an artificial sweetener–promotes weight gain. But experts admit that more research needs to be done. And while HFCS is not any more fattening that sugar, recent studies conducted at Boston University and Harvard University found that African-American women who drank at least two sodas or sugary juice drinks daily, such as Kool-Aid or fruit punch, were likely to be diagnosed with diabetes more often than those who consumed less or none of the sugary drinks.

We say gulp down these beverages at your own risk, especially since these ads might be biased.

Read RH’s “Sugar Rush” to learn more about HFCS.