President Donald Trump recently announced that Coca-Cola has purportedly agreed to revert to using cane sugar in its regular Coke sold in the United States, moving away from the high-fructose corn syrup currently used. This announcement 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 yet to confirm this potential change, prompting nutrition experts to weigh in on the health implications of such a switch.

Currently, American Coke is sweetened with high-fructose corn syrup, a liquid sweetener derived from cornstarch. This ingredient is classified as a refined sugar, meaning it originates from natural sources but undergoes processing that strips away other nutrients, leaving behind pure sugar. Historically, Coca-Cola was initially sweetened with cane sugar until the early 1980s when the company transitioned to the more cost-effective high-fructose corn syrup. Interestingly, many other regions globally, including the makers of Mexican Coke sold in classic glass bottles in the U.S., continue to use cane sugar in their formulations.

Despite the perception of cane sugar being a