President Donald Trump recently announced that Coca-Cola had agreed to replace high-fructose corn syrup with cane sugar in its regular Coke sold in the U.S., a move he lauded as a positive change. However, according to the Associated Press, Coca-Cola has yet to officially confirm this proposed switch. This announcement has prompted significant questions regarding the actual health implications of such a change, which nutrition experts have weighed in on.

Currently, American Coke is sweetened with high-fructose corn syrup, a liquid sweetener derived from cornstarch. This substance is classified as a refined sugar, meaning it originates from natural sources but undergoes processing to strip away other nutrients, leaving behind pure sugar. Historically, Coke was initially made with cane sugar, but the company transitioned to high-fructose corn syrup in the early 1980s due to its lower cost. Interestingly, many other regions globally, including Mexico (as seen in the classic glass-bottled Mexican Coke sold in the U.S.), continue to use cane sugar in their Coca-Cola formulations.

Despite common perceptions, nutrition experts assert that Coke sweetened with cane sugar is not inherently healthier than its high-fructose corn syrup counterpart. These two sweeteners are remarkably similar in their composition and how the body processes them. Cane sugar, sourced from sugarcane or sugar beets, is also a refined sugar. Lisa Moskovitz, RD, CDN, CEO of the NY Nutrition Group, explained that while cane sugar might appear healthier on the surface due to its ‘natural’ perception, this ‘halo effect’ is misleading. Both sweeteners share similar molecular structures, each containing roughly a 50/50 split of the simple sugars, fructose and glucose, and are digested identically by the body. Caroline Susie, RDN, LD, a spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, emphasized that from the body's perspective, there is no distinction; it simply recognizes and processes the substance as sugar.

Nutritionists universally caution that excessive consumption of any refined sugar, regardless of its source (cane sugar or high-fructose corn syrup), carries significant health risks. These risks include an increased likelihood of weight gain, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and fatty liver disease. As Susie aptly put it, “At the end of the day, it’s added sugar. Those added sugars really do add up.”

Given these insights, experts generally advise against regular soda consumption. Whether sweetened with cane sugar or high-fructose corn syrup, soda remains an “empty-calorie, blood glucose-spiking beverage,” as Moskovitz describes it. Even diet soda, despite being sugar- and calorie-free, is not highly recommended by experts because both regular and diet sodas provide zero nutritional value. The gold standard for hydration, according to Susie, is water. Other healthier alternatives include unsweetened tea and sparkling water. For those craving the fizz of soda, Moskovitz suggests seltzer enhanced with a splash of juice or flavored with fresh fruits like berries, oranges, or limes.