Is Cane Sugar Better than Corn Syrup?

Posted in Our Blog on June 23, 2026

For a good while brands have been in a battle against what sweeteners to use to be healthier. Many things we already know aren’t the best for us to eat, so why all of a sudden is the battle over sweetener? Today we look at the debate: why is cane sugar better than corn syrup?

While studies have linked high-fructose corn syrup to conditions such as insulin resistance, nutrition experts told PBS News that cane sugar is not a healthier alternative.

“It makes no sense — health officials celebrating swapping high-fructose corn syrup for cane sugar as a win for public health,” said Eva Greenthal, senior policy scientist at the Center for Science in the Public Interest. “It’s things like this that can make it hard to take the administration seriously.”

What is the difference?

Cane sugar is refined from the crystallized juices of sugar cane, which is cultivated in warm climates around the world and in the southern United States.

High-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) is also derived from the refining of a U.S.-grown plant, corn, and gained popularity since the 1980s for being cheaper to produce. But while cane sugar, known scientifically as sucrose, is made up of 50% glucose and 50% fructose molecules, high-fructose corn syrup can contain variable amounts of fructose.

HFCS 42 (which contains 42% fructose and 58% glucose) is primarily used in processed foods, cereals and baked goods, whereas HFCS 55 (which contains 55% fructose) is often found in sodas, according to the Food and Drug Administration.

One 2014 study published in the journal Nutrition analyzed an assortment of sweetened beverages and fruit juices sold by retailers in California, and found that the amount of fructose in popular drinks that contained high-fructose corn syrup ranged as high as about 60% of the sugar content.

Those higher levels of fructose may be significant, some researchers say, because fructose metabolizes in the liver differently than glucose. Past studies have suggested that the differences can lead to metabolic problems, increasing risks for obesity and Type 2 diabetes.

But the subject is a matter of ongoing debate among scientists. One 2021 study, funded by the National Institutes of Health, tested drinks sweetened with high-fructose corn syrup and cane sugar against aspartame-based sodas and found that both the syrup and cane sugar increased fatty liver disease and decreased insulin sensitivity, a risk factor for Type 2 diabetes, with “no significant differences” between the two.

“The biggest difference to a consumer when they buy a sucrose soda versus a high-fructose corn syrup soda [is] they know what they’re getting with the sucrose: 50-50,” said Kimber L. Stanhope, a research nutritional biologist at the University of California, Davis, who contributed to the study.

Is Cane Sugar Healthier?

Switching from high-fructose corn syrup to cane sugar is not likely to “change anybody’s health,” Stanhope said.

U.S. adults consume an average of 17 teaspoons of added sugar a day, more than two to three times the recommended daily allowance, according to the American Heart Association.

“Americans currently consume way too much added sugar, and there’s really strong research that this is associated with adverse health outcomes,” said Juliana Cohen, adjunct professor of nutrition at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.

What makes soda “unhealthy” is the lack of nutritional benefits for the amount of calories the drinks contain, nutritionists told PBS News.

While Cohen, a school nutrition policy expert, advocates for policies that reduce sugar intake, she said replacing high-fructose corn syrup with cane sugar is “more akin to putting a filter on a cigarette.”

“It doesn’t suddenly make it a health food. It’s still going to be an ultra-processed food with 39 grams of sugar,” Cohen said, referring to the amount of sugar in a 12-ounce can of Coca-Cola. That’s more than half of the daily added sugar intake recommended for adults in the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Dietary Guidelines for Americans.

So I guess there we have it. The battle of the sweeteners is ultimately a mute point since we all know that too much of the tasty treasure is ultimately bad for us anyway.

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