KTK-Nutrition

For years Coca-Cola has used high fructose corn syrup to sweeten Coke.    Now, after 40 years, they have announced they are launching a new Coke sweetened with  cane sugar .    Coca-Cola already sells a Coke sweetened with cane sugar in Mexico.    Is cane sugar better for you, or is it just clever branding?    In this blog post, we’ll break down the differences between cane sugar and high fructose corn syrup and help you make informed choices.   🧃  Why Coca-Cola Is Adding Cane Sugar Consumer Demand for Simpler Ingredients:    Many  consumers  want more natural ingredients in foods and beverages.    They perceive cane sugar (sucrose) as being more natural or real than high fructose corn syrup (HFCS).   Cost:    Coke won’t be saving money as  high fructose corn syrup  is cheaper than cane sugar, partially because it is heavily subsidized by the U.S. government.   Publicity a...

Many food companies are responding to federal pressure to remove artificial food dyes from their products.    Mounting evidence links synthetic  food dyes  like Red 40 and Yellow 5 to behavioral issues such as hyperactivity and even allergic reactions-especially in children- so the pressure is on to reformulate foods.    Because the FDA has a 2025 initiative to phase out petroleum-based dyes, the food industry is responding.         What is the FDA  Initiative ? In April 2025, the head of the Food and Drug Administration announced they were working to eliminate several artificial food dyes including Green 3, Red 40, Yellow 5, Yellow 6, Blue 1, and Blue 2.    Another dye, Red 3 is scheduled to be banned by 2027 as research has found it caused cancer in laboratory rats.    Additionally, FDA announced it was approving “four new natural additives”.   📊 How prevalent are artificial food dyes in our foods? A...

  Anyone suffering from inflammation is always looking for something to help reduce inflammation.    A relative with hip inflammation said they were trying tart cherry juice.    Then another relative went to the doctor because of their knee pain from arthritis. The relative told the doctor he was trying lots of things including losing weight, physical therapy, and an anti-inflammatory diet.    The doctor suggested adding one more thing, tart cherry juice. Why is tart cherry juice considered anti-inflammatory? 🍒   Rich in Anthocyanins  Tart cherries are packed with  anthocyanins , powerful antioxidants that give the fruit its deep red color. These compounds help reduce inflammation by blocking enzymes involved in the inflammatory process. And cherry juice contains  quercetin , a flavonoid that helps reduce pain and swelling.   🧠   Supports Joint and Muscle Recovery   Studies  show tart cherry juice can ease...

Who doesn’t love sugary snacks or dessert?    But then one bite leads to craving even more sugary snacks and desserts.    A candy bar can help you curb your hunger and give you an energy boost but only for the short-term. Then as your blood sugar drops you can feel hungry again.    My husband has been working on cutting back on sweets.    Not an easy task.   Sugar, sugar everywhere.  Why it can be hard to cut back on sugar. Everyone knows there is sugar in candy and most desserts.  But added sugar has crept into many foods including bread, cereal, fruit drinks, sauces like spaghetti sauce, and yogurt.  Americans eat a lot of  sugar  averaging 17 teaspoons of sugar a day when the recommended amount is about “6 teaspoons per day for women and 9 for men”.  (See:  Is hidden sugar sneaking into your diet? )   What are some ways you can  curb your cravings  for sugar? Eat me...

Have you noticed the ingredients on some packaging?    In place of sugar some manufacturers are using high fructose corn syrup to sweeten foods.    So much so that now you can find packages with bold letters stating, No High Fructose Corn Syrup.     What is high fructose corn syrup and how does this sweetener affect your health? What is high fructose corn syrup?  High fructose corn syrup  is made from corn starch.  After processing it is a liquid composed of 55% fructose and 45% glucose.  How is high fructose corn syrup used in  foods ? One doesn’t go to the store to buy high fructose corn syrup, rather manufacturers use high fructose corn syrup in place of sugar to sweeten foods as high fructose corn syrup is cheaper.  High fructose corn syrup not only adds sweetness to foods, it also is used for other reason such as surface browning, giving “moisture, structure, and texture” to foods.  In foods like bread,...

Food dyes are in the news a lot lately.    Robert F. Kennedy wants to work with the food industry to get artificial food dyes out of our food including out of the National School Lunch Program.    My husband showed me an interesting article in the Wall Street Journal,  Removing Artificial Food Dyes Will Be Difficult .    Why?    Because artificial food dyes are in so many of our foods.             1 in 10 foods contain artificial food dyes           40% of food items containing artificial food dyes contain 3 or MORE food dyes The article notes artificial food dyes are in popular foods such as Pop-Tarts and Doritos.  And in foods that even I was unaware of.  I told my daughter that some pickles have artificial dyes.  She didn’t believe me, opened her fridge and looked at her jar of pickles.  Not one but two artificial yellow dyes in the pickles....