Here's how Coke using sugar instead of corn syrup could affect you
Why it matters: The switch to cane sugar reflects the Make America Healthy Again movement's growing influence over the food industry's use of ultra-processed ingredients.
Driving the news: The MAHA movement, led by Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., is focused on removing processed ingredients such as seed oils, artificial dyes, and high-fructose corn syrup from foods.
Americans' consumption of ultra-processed foods is linked to an increased risk of heart disease and stroke in adults.
"MAHA is winning," Kennedy wrote on X in response to fast food chain Steak and Shake announcing it would sell Coca-Cola with "real cane sugar" starting Aug. 1.
Earlier this month, Kennedy cheered the U.S. dairy industry's announcement that more than 40 ice-cream makers would voluntarily stop using synthetic dyes in their scoops.
Yes, but: While cane sugar is less processed than corn syrup, they have basically the same weight gain and health effects, according to a 2022 analysis.
The American Medical Association in 2023 said there was "insufficient evidence" to restrict the use of high fructose corn syrup in foods.
Read on for an explanation on the differences between corn syrup and cane sugar:
What is high-fructose corn syrup?
High-fructose corn syrup comes from processing corn starch. When the starch is broken down, the end product is corn syrup, which is essentially 100% glucose, according to the Food and Drug Administration.
Enzymes are then added to the corn syrup to convert some of the glucose to another simple sugar called fructose. The "high" in the end result is because there's more fructose than the pure glucose in corn syrup.
How is cane sugar made?
Sugarcane is a tall perennial grass that is cut after it matures, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The cane stalks are crushed and the resulting liquid is extracted into syrup or crystallized into products like white or brown sugar.
Which one is healthier for you?
A systematic review of people consuming the two ingredients found that there were no major differences in terms of body weight, blood sugar, or insulin levels.
The study did suggest that those who consumed high-fructose corn syrup were more likely to have higher inflammation levels than those who consumed cane sugar.
How are they used?
High fructose corn syrup is predominantly used in processed and packaged goods that need to have a long shelf life because its more stable than regular sugar.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Axios
6 minutes ago
- Axios
Dallas-area ICE arrests of noncriminals skyrocketed
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrests of people without criminal charges or convictions in the Dallas area soared in June, per data compiled by the Deportation Data Project. Why it matters: The surge follows a national trend that coincides with the Trump administration's decision on May 21 to triple ICE's arrest quota. By the numbers: In January, ICE agents arrested 1,085 total people in the Dallas Field Office region, which includes North Texas, the Texas Panhandle and Oklahoma. As of June 26 — the most recent data available — the monthly arrest figure increased 59% to 1,726. Zoom in: The monthly share of Dallas-area ICE detainees without criminal charges or convictions more than doubled, from 197 in January (18% of all arrests) to 524 (30%) in June. The big picture: Nationwide, people without criminal charges or convictions made up an average of 47% of daily ICE arrests in early June, up from about 21% in early May, before the quota increase. The other side: "The media continues to peddle this FALSE narrative that ICE is not targeting criminal illegal aliens," Department of Homeland Security assistant secretary Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement to Axios. McLaughlin added that 70% of ICE arrests were for immigrants with criminal convictions or pending charges, but did not elaborate on that figure. Between the lines: " ICE has the authority to arrest immigrants who are suspected of violating immigration laws, regardless of criminal history," writes Austin Kocher, research assistant professor at Syracuse University's S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications and immigration expert, in an analysis of the new data. "Nevertheless, the administration has gone to great lengths in the press and on social media to emphasize the criminality of people they are arresting. Both things can be true, of course."
Axios
6 minutes ago
- Axios
Texas is one of most restrictive states for birth control access
Texas is among states with the most restrictive access to contraception, a new scorecard from the Population Reference Bureau shows. Why it matters: Contraception access has become a political flashpoint since the U.S. Supreme Court ended Roe v. Wade, with Democrats unsuccessfully pressing to codify contraceptive access nationwide and some patients concerned that conservative state legislatures could enact new curbs. Zoom in: While Texas expanded Medicaid coverage for family-planning services through the Healthy Texas Women waiver, it hasn't adopted a broader expansion of the health insurance program for low-income residents. That has left gaps in coverage for men and people under 18, per the scorecard. The state requires insurers to cover prescription birth control if they cover other prescription drugs but doesn't mandate coverage of over-the-counter methods. Texas allows minors to consent to contraceptive services only if they're married or meet narrow exceptions. Texas also doesn't require sex education in schools, per the report. The big picture: Nearly 35% of Americans, or 121 million people, live in a state that actively restricts access. The most protective states included California, Washington, Connecticut, New York, New Mexico, Maryland and Oregon. What they're saying:"Reproductive health care access depends on where you live," said Cathryn Streifel, senior program director at PRB and co-author of the scorecard.
The Hill
6 minutes ago
- The Hill
NJ Democrats rip DOJ over removal of Habba successor
New Jersey Democratic Sens. Cory Booker and Andy Kim slammed the Trump administration on Tuesday for failing to uphold the court ordered appointment of Alina Haba's successor to serve as the state's interim U.S. attorney. Desiree Leigh Grace, Habba's first assistant, was tapped by the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey to lead the office upon the expiration of her 120-day temporary term. But, on Tuesday, Grace was 'removed' from the post by the Justice Department (DOJ). 'Trump's Department of Justice is once again criticizing a court that acted within its authority, continuing a pattern of publicly undermining judicial decisions and showing disregard for the rule of law and the separation of powers,' Booker and Kim said in a statement. 'The firing of a career public servant, lawfully appointed by the court, is another blatant attempt to intimidate anyone that doesn't agree with them and undermine judicial independence,' the duo continued. 'This Administration may not like the law, but they are not above it.' DOJ officials have accused the Democratic senators of plotting to oust Habba, who failed to be confirmed by judges for a long-term position. 'They forced out President Trump's pick, @USAttyHabba, then installed her deputy, colluding with the NJ Senators along the way. It won't work,' Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche wrote on social platform X, referring to Booker and Kim. 'Pursuant to the President's authority, we have removed that deputy, effective immediately,' he added. 'This backroom vote will not override the authority of the Chief Executive.' Attorney General Pam Bondi said, 'politically minded judges refused to allow her to continue in her position.' Habba received a considerable amount of backlash after initiating charges against Newark Mayor Ras Baraka (D) and Rep. LaMonica McIver (D-N.J.) stemming from an incident at a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in the Garden State. Both Baraka and McIver denied the accusations resulting in charges dropped against the Newark mayor. Baraka has sued Habba for damages over his arrest. A federal judge said the New Jersey mayor's arrest suggested a 'worrisome misstep' by Habba's office, noting the 'apparent rush' in bringing the case that culminated in the government's 'embarrassing' retraction of the charge. 'The people of New Jersey deserve a U.S. Attorney who will enforce the law and pursue justice for the people of our state without partisanship or politics,' Booker and Kim said on Tuesday, following Habba's failure to be retained as the state's top federal prosecutor.
