President Donald Trump recently announced that Coca-Cola had agreed to replace high-fructose corn syrup with cane sugar in regular Coke sold within the United States. This declaration was shared on social media, with Trump stating, “This will be a very good move by them — You’ll see. It’s just better!” However, the Associated Press noted that Coca-Cola had not yet confirmed this proposed switch, raising significant questions about the potential health implications of such a change.

Currently, American Coke is sweetened using 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 that removes other nutrients, leaving behind pure sugar. Historically, Coca-Cola initially used cane sugar but transitioned to the more cost-effective high-fructose corn syrup in the early 1980s. Interestingly, many other regions globally, including the production of Mexican Coke sold in classic glass bottles in the U.S., continue to utilize cane sugar.

Despite the perception that cane sugar might be a healthier alternative, nutrition experts largely agree that Coke made with cane sugar is no healthier than its high-fructose corn syrup counterpart. Lisa Moskovitz, RD, CDN, CEO of the NY Nutrition Group, explained that while cane sugar might appear healthier due to its