Is UK Coca-Cola healthier than US coke?published at 13:59 British Summer Time 17 July
Lucy Gilder
BBC Verify journalist
Image source, ShutterstockUS President Donald Trump says that Coca-Cola has agreed to use cane sugar in drinks sold in the US.
Writing on Truth Social,, external he said: “I have been speaking to Coca-Cola about using REAL Cane Sugar in Coke in the United States, and they have agreed to do so.”
The president’s announcement follows concerns raised by his Health Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr about the health impacts of corn syrup, a liquid sweetener made from corn which is cheaper than sugar.
Coke sold in the US is typically sweetened with this syrup whereas in other countries, including Mexico and the UK, it tends to use cane sugar.
I’ve contacted six nutritional experts to ask whether cane sugar is any healthier than corn syrup.
One of them, Nichola Ludlam-Raine of the British Dietetic Association, told me that: “From a nutritional standpoint, cane sugar and high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) are very similar. Both are sources of free sugars that contribute to excess calorie intake and, when consumed in large amounts over time, can increase the risk of obesity, type 2 diabetes, and tooth decay.
“High-fructose corn syrup, commonly used in US soft drinks, typically contains around 55% fructose and 45% glucose, whereas cane sugar (sucrose) is a 50/50 mix of glucose and fructose. While there are slight chemical differences, the body breaks both down into glucose and fructose, and processes them in largely the same way,” she said.
Ms Ludlam-Raine added that: “There is no strong evidence to suggest that cane sugar is significantly ‘healthier’ than corn syrup – both should be consumed in moderation”.