Update: Jones Soda Cream Soda (Pure Cane Soda Version)
Jun 18th, 2007 by Steve
In regards to my review of Jones Soda Cream Soda (Pure Cane Soda Version), I received an e-mail from reader "Ali" in regards to my "inquiring minds want to know" plea for clarification on the whole "inverted cane sugar" situation with Jones Soda.
With her permission (and degree in biology with a minor in chemistry), I'd like to share this explanation:
Your post compared HFCS with pure cane sugar, but I think there was still confusion about the differences. HFCS is produced from pure corn syrup by an enzymatic process which converts some of the glucose molecules that corn plants produce (their form of sugar) into fructose molecules (a different form of sugar).Most HFCS's are actually a mixture of pure corn syrup (100% glucose) and HFCS, and the percentages of each vary depending on the desired use of the mixture. Sugar cane plants produce a different kind of sugar than corn does, namely sucrose. The difference is that glucose is a single 6-carbon ring, while sucrose is actually made up of two rings, one 6-carbon ring and one 5-carbon ring.
Your explanation of "inverted cane sugar" is on the money, and so your question about whether inverted cane sugar is better than HFCS is a valid one. The truth is, both fructose (the 5-carbon sugar) and glucose (the 6-carbon sugar) are cyclic hydrocarbons, and as a result, your body breaks them down in similar processes.
However, the sugar molecules that the human body manufactures for energy by its own processes (from things like the carbs we eat) are always glucose. Therefore, in humans, the metabolic path that breaks down glucose is more efficient than the one that breaks down fructose. Also, if I had to venture a guess, the Jones Soda people may have a few environmentally friendly types in their organization who understand that our addiction to all things corn is not healthy for our bodies, our economy, or our environment
Thanks again for the additional explanation, "Ali"!
[...] I'm no scientist, but this would seem to indicate that Jones' version of "pure cane sugar" leans more on the sucrose end of the spectrum, while HCFS obviously hints towards fructose. I've no clue what that means. In fact, from what I've been able to search online, it seems that there is not much difference in the way the body breaks down sucrose vs. HFCS. So is this whole change over to "Pure Cane Soda" a clever marketing sham? Or is there actual science to support it? Enquiring minds want to know! (UPDATE: A reader chimes in with more explanation.) [...]
[...] had a biology/chem person e-mail me about this topic a while back. With their permission, I posted their comments. Perhaps that would help this [...]
it the free fructose which is causing al the problem HFCS so it also a same problem with fructose crystalline fructose and inverted sugar
so jones inverted sugar is just as bad as HFCS
Wrong David. The amount of fructose in sugar, invert sugar and HFCS is essentially the same. Consuming huge quantities of fructose (without glucose which facilitates fructose absorption) can cause some GI distress, but if we're just talking about a can of soft drink, there is no difference between the sweeteners.
The "free" fructose does not cause a problem. Sucrose is split into free fructose and free glucose by the enzyme sucrase in the intestine. Then absorption of both monosaccharides into the blood and then on to the liver where fructose is converted to glucose. Invert sugar and HFCS don't require sucrase (which is not a limiting step!) for absorption. Essentially, invert sugar, sucrose and HFCS are the same in the body.
Sweetening a soft drink with "pure cane sugar" is a scam perpetrated on the scientifically ignorant by taking advantage of the misinformation about HFCS that is rampant on the internet. Sugar is no healthier (or worse) than HFCS and vice versus. Every soft drink manufacturer wants your dollar and will use any gimmick to extract if from you.
[...] Cane Soda", listing "inverted cane sugar" as the primary sweetener in the ingredients. This has sparked some conflict as well regarding just what is considered "sugar" these days. In the case of the Pepsi Throwback and [...]