Trump Says Coca-Cola May Switch to Cane Sugar, But Is It Healthier?

President Donald Trump announced this week that Coca-Cola may soon switch its U.S. products from high-fructose corn syrup to cane sugar.

While the Coca-Cola Company has not confirmed the change, Trump’s statement aligns with recent health-focused lobbying efforts led by U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and the Make America Healthy Again movement. The group has pushed for food and beverage companies to remove ingredients like artificial dyes, seed oils, and corn syrup.

Coca-Cola is made with high-fructose corn syrup in the U.S., while its Mexican counterpart uses cane sugar. Health experts, however, caution that swapping one type of sugar for another does not make soda healthier.

“Excess consumption of sugar from any source harms health,” said Eva Greenthal of the Center for Science in the Public Interest. “Swapping one type of sugar for another does nothing to make soda healthier.”

According to Dr. Walter C. Willett from Harvard’s School of Public Health, cutting back on all sugary beverages—regardless of sweetener—is the real public health priority. He suggests options like warning labels and soda taxes to discourage consumption.

The Corn Refiners Association opposes the potential shift, warning it could hurt American farmers and manufacturing jobs while increasing sugar imports.

Nutritional experts largely agree there’s little difference between cane sugar and high-fructose corn syrup when it comes to calories or basic health impacts. Some newer research links high-fructose corn syrup to higher risks of obesity, insulin resistance, and liver inflammation, but the consensus remains that moderation is key.

At the end of the day, whether it’s cane sugar or corn syrup, health professionals recommend cutting back on added sugars altogether—limiting intake to 25 grams per day or less.

Credit: CNN Newsource

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