
RFK Jr. praises cane sugar
Kennedy has repeatedly blasted high-fructose corn syrup — a staple of sugary snacks and drinks including Coke — as a driver of obesity and diabetes. And research has established that added sugar in food does fuel those chronic diseases.
Get Love Letters: The Newsletter
A weekly dispatch with all the best relationship content and commentary – plus exclusive content for fans of Love Letters, Dinner With Cupid, weddings, therapy talk, and more.
Enter Email
Sign Up
Cane sugar is also an unhealthy addition to drinks, the experts said.
Advertisement
'Replacing one sugar with another isn't going to have much of an effect on health,' said Dariush Mozaffarian, director of the Food Is Medicine Institute at Tufts University, who praised other Kennedy food priorities, such as reducing consumption of ultra-processed foods.
The Department of Health and Human Services declined to comment. Some Kennedy allies defended his comments, saying they were not contradictory and instead highlighted concerns over a pesticide commonly sprayed on corn.
'Of course, Coca-Cola is not a healthy drink. Of course, it still has a ton of sugar and is nutritionally void,' said Vani Hari, an author and activist known as the Food Babe.
Advertisement
But Kennedy is 'looking at the bigger picture,' Hari added. 'He understands how food is produced in this country. He understands the downstream impacts on human health.'
Many US customers are already familiar with the Mexican version of Coke made with cane sugar because it is widely imported. President Donald Trump, known for his love of Diet Coke, said last week that he had spoken to Coca-Cola about making its product in the US with cane sugar and that the company agreed. At the time, Coca-Cola did not confirm the move, but the company said in a statement that it appreciated Trump's 'enthusiasm' for its brand.
The company said the addition of a soda with cane sugar in the US 'is designed to complement the company's strong core portfolio and offer more choices across occasions and preferences.' James Quincey, Coca-Cola's chief executive, said some of its other drinks sold in the US already use cane sugar, such as teas and lemonades.
'We are definitely looking to use the whole toolbox, the whole tool kit of available sweetening options to some extent where there are consumer preferences,' Quincey said on a Tuesday earnings call.
Trump's preview of the decision revived a long-running debate over whether 'Mexican Coke' made with cane sugar tastes better. Nutrition experts bristled at the focus on the type of sugar in the drink instead of whether people should be drinking it at all.
'To actually improve health, the administration should focus on less sugar, not different sugar,' said Aviva Musicus, science director of the nonprofit Center for Science in the Public Interest, which advocates a healthy and safe food supply.
Advertisement
Cane sugar, derived from a sucrose-rich plant, and high-fructose corn syrup, made by breaking down corn starch and processing it, share similar compositions with slight differences in their makeup. The Food and Drug Administration says it is not aware of evidence showing a difference in the safety of foods containing the syrup versus other sweeteners such as sucrose, also known as table sugar, and honey.
Several nutritionists said they have not seen scientific evidence showing sucrose is healthier than high-fructose corn syrup in food. They pointed to a 2022 study indicating that both have similar effects on weight, blood pressure, and body mass index.
'Biochemically and physiologically, they're the same,' said Marion Nestle, a retired professor of nutrition, food studies, and public health at New York University. 'They're sugars. Everybody should be eating less of them.'
More than three-quarters of children five years and older and more than half of adults consume more than the recommended limit of added sugars, according to US data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.
Kennedy has long targeted high-fructose corn syrup and touted 'Mexican Coke' over the version manufactured in the U.S.
'High-fructose corn syrup. That is poison. … Clearly it is linked to the obesity epidemic. It's linked to the diabetes epidemic,' Kennedy said on a 2023 episode of 'The Breakfast Club,' a radio show.
He added, 'If you're going to drink Coca-Cola, drink a Mexican Coke because they don't have it in it.'
But public health experts have long raised alarms about soda consumption in Mexico. According to one 2019 study, nearly a fifth of all deaths of Mexican adults due to diabetes, cardiovascular disease, or obesity-related cancer were attributable to sugar-sweetened beverages. At one point, the drinks contributed to more than 40,000 excess deaths per year in Mexico.
Advertisement
A May report from the Trump administration's MAHA commission - which Kennedy chairs - said high-fructose corn syrup and other added sugars 'may play a significant role in childhood obesity, Type 2 diabetes, and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD).'
Embed code:
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Axios
an hour ago
- Axios
RFK Jr. reportedly plans to fire preventive care task force
Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. plans to oust the 16-member expert panel that makes recommendations for preventive services that insurers must cover fully under the Affordable Care Act, according to reports. Why it matters: About 100 million people get no-cost cancer screenings, counseling and other services under the ACA. But some conservatives have urged Kennedy to replace the current members of the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, saying they push race and gender ideology on doctors. Kennedy postponed a meeting of the panel scheduled for earlier this month amid speculation in the public health community that he could fire its members. The latest: Kennedy plans to dismiss all the members of the advisory panel because he views them as too "woke," the Wall Street Journal first reported, quoting people familiar with the matter. The Supreme Court last month upheld the structure of the task force in a case surrounding coverage of HIV prevention drugs, ruling that the long-standing panel of volunteer scientists are accountable to the Health and Human Services secretary, who has the power to remove and replace members at will. The case stemmed from a 2020 lawsuit by Christian-owned companies over a task force recommendation requiring them to cover no-cost HIV drugs in their employer-sponsored insurance. Kennedy has already fired all members of the panel that advises the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on immunization recommendations, removing all 17 of its members and replacing them with handpicked successors.
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Israeli strikes kill at least 34 people in Gaza, officials say, as some aid restrictions are eased
APTOPIX Israel Palestinians Gaza DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — Israeli strikes killed at least 34 Palestinians in multiple locations across Gaza on Monday, local health officials said, a day after Israel eased aid restrictions in the face of a worsening humanitarian crisis in the territory. Israel announced Sunday that the military would pause operations in Gaza City, Deir al-Balah and Muwasi for 10 hours a day until further notice to allow for the improved flow of aid to Palestinians in Gaza, where concern over hunger has grown, and designate secure routes for aid delivery. Israel said it would continue military operations alongside the new humanitarian measures. The Israeli military had no immediate comment about the latest strikes, which occurred outside the time frame for the pause Israel declared would be held between 10 a.m. and 8 p.m. Aid agencies have welcomed the new aid measures, which also included allowing airdrops into Gaza, but said they were not enough to counter the rising hunger in the Palestinian territory. Images of emaciated children have sparked outrage around the world, including from Israel's close allies. U.S. President Donald Trump on Sunday called the images of emaciated and malnourished children in Gaza 'terrible.' Israel has restricted aid to varying degrees throughout the war. In March, it cut off the entry of all goods, including fuel, food and medicine to pressure Hamas to free hostages. Israel partially lifted those restrictions in May but also pushed ahead on a new U.S.-backed aid delivery system that has been wracked by chaos and violence. Traditional aid providers also have encountered a similar breakdown in law and order surrounding their aid deliveries. Most of Gaza's population now relies on aid. Accessing food has become a challenge that some Palestinians have risked their lives for. The Awda hospital in central Gaza said it received the bodies of seven Palestinians who it said were killed Monday by Israeli fire close to an aid distribution site run by the U.S.- and Israeli-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation. The hospital said 20 others were wounded close to the site. Elsewhere, a woman who was seven months pregnant was killed along with 11 others after their house was struck in the Muwasi area, west of the southern city of Khan Younis. The woman's fetus survived after a complex surgery, according to the Palestinian Red Crescent. One strike hit a two-story house in the western Japanese neighborhood of Khan Younis, killing at least 11 people, more than half of them women and children, said the Nasser Hospital, which received the casualties. The Israeli military and GHF did not immediately respond to a request for comment on those strikes. In its Oct. 7, 2023, attack, Hamas killed 1,200 people and took 251 hostages. It still holds 50, more than half Israel believes to be dead. Israel's retaliatory offensive has killed more than 59,800 Palestinians, according to Gaza's Health Ministry. Its count doesn't distinguish between militants and civilians, but the ministry says over half of the dead are women and children. The ministry operates under the Hamas government. The U.N. and other international organizations see it as the most reliable source of data on casualties. ___ Magdy reported from Cairo. ___ Follow AP's war coverage at

Associated Press
2 hours ago
- Associated Press
Israeli strikes kill at least 34 people in Gaza, officials say, as some aid restrictions are eased
DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — Israeli strikes killed at least 34 Palestinians in multiple locations across Gaza on Monday, local health officials said, a day after Israel eased aid restrictions in the face of a worsening humanitarian crisis in the territory. Israel announced Sunday that the military would pause operations in Gaza City, Deir al-Balah and Muwasi for 10 hours a day until further notice to allow for the improved flow of aid to Palestinians in Gaza, where concern over hunger has grown, and designate secure routes for aid delivery. Israel said it would continue military operations alongside the new humanitarian measures. The Israeli military had no immediate comment about the latest strikes, which occurred outside the time frame for the pause Israel declared would be held between 10 a.m. and 8 p.m. Aid agencies have welcomed the new aid measures, which also included allowing airdrops into Gaza, but said they were not enough to counter the rising hunger in the Palestinian territory. Images of emaciated children have sparked outrage around the world, including from Israel's close allies. U.S. President Donald Trump on Sunday called the images of emaciated and malnourished children in Gaza 'terrible.' Israel has restricted aid to varying degrees throughout the war. In March, it cut off the entry of all goods, including fuel, food and medicine to pressure Hamas to free hostages. Israel partially lifted those restrictions in May but also pushed ahead on a new U.S.-backed aid delivery system that has been wracked by chaos and violence. Traditional aid providers also have encountered a similar breakdown in law and order surrounding their aid deliveries. Most of Gaza's population now relies on aid. Accessing food has become a challenge that some Palestinians have risked their lives for. The Awda hospital in central Gaza said it received the bodies of seven Palestinians who it said were killed Monday by Israeli fire close to an aid distribution site run by the U.S.- and Israeli-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation. The hospital said 20 others were wounded close to the site. Elsewhere, a woman who was seven months pregnant was killed along with 11 others after their house was struck in the Muwasi area, west of the southern city of Khan Younis. The woman's fetus survived after a complex surgery, according to the Palestinian Red Crescent. One strike hit a two-story house in the western Japanese neighborhood of Khan Younis, killing at least 11 people, more than half of them women and children, said the Nasser Hospital, which received the casualties. The Israeli military and GHF did not immediately respond to a request for comment on those strikes. In its Oct. 7, 2023, attack, Hamas killed 1,200 people and took 251 hostages. It still holds 50, more than half Israel believes to be dead. Israel's retaliatory offensive has killed more than 59,800 Palestinians, according to Gaza's Health Ministry. Its count doesn't distinguish between militants and civilians, but the ministry says over half of the dead are women and children. The ministry operates under the Hamas government. The U.N. and other international organizations see it as the most reliable source of data on casualties. ___ Magdy reported from Cairo. ___ Follow AP's war coverage at