Replacing high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) with cane sugar in sodas has no beneficial impact on human health.

noli's read

The central point here rests on the biochemistry of metabolism: once ingested, HFCS and cane sugar (sucrose) are broken down into nearly identical amounts of glucose and fructose. According to a systematic review published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition (a meta-analysis of intervention studies), there is no significant metabolic difference between the two sugars in terms of glycemic or insulin response at equal doses. Current science supports the idea that it is the excess of added sugars, regardless of their source, that poses a problem for metabolic health, rather than the specific distinction between these two sweetening agents. The potential exaggeration lies in the popular perception that demonizes HFCS as being intrinsically more toxic, whereas the evidence does not support this hierarchy. Therefore, there is no solid evidence demonstrating that a simple swap of cane sugar for HFCS would improve health markers. Layne Norton's argument thus aligns with the current scientific consensus on the metabolic equivalence of these two types of sugars.

the sources

1. 1Malik VS, Hu FB 2019
2. 2Yang Q, Zhang Z, Gregg EW, et al. 2014
3. 3Westwater ML, Fletcher PC, Ziauddeen H 2016