Physical Wellness

Pepsi Made with Real Sugar is not any Healthier

By Cheri Cheng | Update Date: Aug 01, 2014 11:22 AM EDT

This summer, Pepsi rolled out three new lines of soda, "Pepsi Made with Real Sugar," "Pepsi Vanilla Made With Real Sugar," and "Pepsi Wild Cherry Made with Real Sugar" that were made with real sugar as opposed to high fructose corn syrup. Even though high fructose corn syrup has been labeled as unhealthy by many researchers, nutritionist experts reported that using real sugar in these Pepsi products did not make them any healthier.

"It really doesn't matter. Sugar is just sugar," said Lisa Sasson, a faculty member at New York University's Department of Nutrition, Food Studies, and Public Health reported by TIME. "It's broken down and it's the same in our body."

The experts commented that even though Pepsi never stated that these new products are healthier, people might assume they are just because real sugar is more natural than high fructose corn syrup. However, the experts warn that there are not many differences between the two sweeteners.

"I can easily imagine people thinking that cane sugar is less processed than corn syrup and is some ways more natural and healthier for you," said John T. Gourville, a professor at Harvard Business School, who studies marketing and consumer behavior. "It's an attempt to expand a product category that is struggling to build sales."

Other experts added that when it comes to carbonated drinks, sugar is not the main issue. Consumers should be more aware of all of the other ingredients that go into these beverages.

"Consumers shouldn't only be worried about high fructose corn syrup, they need to investigate the entire label," commented Vani Hari, a consumer activist and creator of the FoodBabe.com blog reported by USA Today. "For example, most people don't know that consuming the ingredient "caramel coloring" in Pepsi could be worse for them than the high fructose corn syrup."

This is not Pepsi's first time using real sugar. Back in 2009, the company rolled out a limited edition of Pepsi soda, known as the Pepsi Throwback that was made with real sugar. Since then, the company has launched the throwback in 2011 and this past summer.

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