Healthy Soda?

           It can't be true, can it?! Unfortunately not quite, but there are better options. I’m sure most reading this have consumed some sort of soda/pop/coke, whatever you may call it, at some point in your life. But when was the last time you did? Was the last time you consumed soda in the age of cane sugar or recently, when high fructose corn syrup has dominated the market? This change began in the 1970s and the trend continues, do you ever wonder why this is? Granted high fructose corn syrup has its advantages but it also has a plethora of disadvantages as well.

Background

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            Before we move on and you read about my views regarding the high fructose corn syrup vs. cane sugar let me give you a brief overview of my background regarding soda and my changing views.

            First off I must say that I’ve been a soda consumer nearly all of my life. Generally drinking one can a day, just like the rest of my immediate and extended family. However, this changed at the beginning of summer break 2012. Once I graduated high school I was fortunate enough to attend multiple graduation parties and had my first experience with the “throwback” sodas, the ones that used cane sugar instead of high fructose corn syrup (you can normally find these in larger grocery stores). My first reaction? This stuff was freaking amazing! I had always written these types of soda off as just some gimic to get me to try something new and spend a little extra, but there is certainly a difference!

            Being as curious as I am I had to find out why this tasted so much better than anything else I had in the past, yeah it was that good. I started trying to find out what the differences were and found that the main one was that the throwback was made with real sugar, just like in the old days. I hadn’t been aware of that so I continued to do research regarding the subject and in short I no longer drink any soda what so ever; but that is a step I’m understanding not everyone is willing to take so I’ll just provide information to you that led me to where I am now.

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History of Soda

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            Soda has a long, interesting, and rather surprising history associated with it. There are three main sodas that I’m going to talk about, first up is Pepsi. Pepsi is not the oldest, nor the most shocking, but a testament to the evolution of a business based off of a solid product. In 1898 Caleb Bradhamintroduced his Pepsi-Cola at his Pharmacy in New Bern, North Carolina. At the forefront of cola’s they were marketed as medicines, claiming to cure a variety of aliments. This is a common beginning to all sodas much like the way they get their name. Pepsi received its name after the ingredient pepsin, which was in the original formula.

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 Next up is Vernors, the "Deliciously Different" soda that many have come to love over the years. It is the oldest modern day soda, dating back to 1862when its creator James Vernor went off to fight in the Civil War and accidently left a bottle of ginger ale brewing in an oak cask for four years. Once coming back and tasting it he began to distribute it. Seems pretty vanilla, right? Well the twist is that Vernors was sweetened with Stevia until 1991, at which time the FDA banned it.

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            Lastly we have the ever-famous Coca-Cola. In 1886 a pharmacist name John Pemberton introduced this beverage as a non-alcoholic medicine. Coca-Cola didn’t get its name from the creator so where did it get it? The ingredient that gave it its kick: cocaine. Obviously this is no longer an ingredient, being cut out in 1903.

            Each of these sodas that I mentioned has a unique history with some surprises involved. My point with telling you the history of these sodas is that each has had its fare share of changes and proven health pitfalls. However, cane sugar has out lived all of these, being around for many, many years without being proven to cause serious harm when consumed in moderation.

High Fructose Corn Syrup and Cane Sugar

            High fructose corn syrup (HFCS) and cane sugar (CS) have some key differences, especially regarding how your body breaks them down. The term “sugar” can be broken down into sucrose, fructose, lactose, and maltose. Each deriving from certain products; the two we are concerned about regarding the HFCS vs. CS debate are sucrose and fructose. Cane sugar falls into the sucrose category, which makes up most sugar in foods and table sugar. HFCS however is both a fructose and a sucrose, without going into too much detail (which can be found here) HFCS leaves the body unsatisfied and it also has a higher glycemic index.

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The human body is used to and understands how to break down sucrose that comes from cane sugar but has not figured out how to properly break down and use the combination of sucrose and fructose provided by HFCS. This is also true in rats that Princeton University performed studies on the effects of HFCS vs CS on their weight. In short the rats that consumed HFCS, with the same caloric intake as those given CS, gained 48% more weight. In humans this would lead to conditions such as obesity, diabetes, and various heart disease.

In conclusion the various sodas on the market are delicious to many people and have been around a long time. The ingredients have changed as time has progressed, sometimes for the best and sometimes for the worse. The use of high fructose corn syrup is unfortunately one for the worse. Whatever your choice may be if you still choose to consume soda I would advise you to purchase those sodas that use cane sugar rather than high fructose corn syrup for your health and the health of those that you care for.

http://www.naturalnews.com/032281_HFCS_sugar.html

http://www.slashfood.com/2009/04/09/the-history-of-soda/