logo
Is High-Fructose Corn Syrup Worse for You Than Sugar?

Is High-Fructose Corn Syrup Worse for You Than Sugar?

New York Times5 days ago
With one Truth Social message from President Trump, high-fructose corn syrup became the most talked-about ingredient of the summer.
The president surprised nearly everyone last week — including executives at the Coca-Cola Company — when he announced that Coke would start using cane sugar. 'You'll see,' he wrote. 'It's just better!' In the United States, almost all Coke is made with high-fructose corn syrup.
The media exploded with erroneous reports that Coca-Cola was switching sweeteners. The company, which initially demurred in a vague statement, said on an earnings call Tuesday that it will begin offering a cane sugar version of Coke in the United States this fall 'to complement the company's strong core portfolio.' But it is not replacing high-fructose corn syrup in existing products.
Eliminating high-fructose corn syrup from the American food supply is a priority of the Make America Healthy Again Commission, which was formed after Robert F. Kennedy Jr. became the health and human services secretary.
The commission's first public report, published in May, singled out the sweetener as a potential major contributor to childhood obesity and other chronic diseases.
Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Claims Data Fail to Accurately Identify MI Types
Claims Data Fail to Accurately Identify MI Types

Medscape

timea minute ago

  • Medscape

Claims Data Fail to Accurately Identify MI Types

TOPLINE: Clinical auditing reveals significant misclassification in administrative codes for myocardial infarction (MI), with only 39% of type 1 (T1MI) codes and 72% of type 2 (T2MI) codes for the condition accurately reflecting the true diagnosis, researchers found. Nearly half of patients coded for T1MI had T2MI, whereas 26% of T2MI codes represented myocardial injury. METHODOLOGY: Researchers identified 350 randomly sampled patients with T1MI codes and 350 patients with T2MI codes during inpatient encounters using the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems-10th Revision. The analysis included patients aged 65 years and older from October 1, 2017, to May 9, 2024, within eight hospitals in the Mass General Brigham system. Using the 4th Universal Definition of MI, the researchers reviewed the clinical encounters to assess evidence of plaque erosion or thrombus vs oxygen demand-supply imbalance. A second physician review was conducted for 146 challenging and 146 nonchallenging cases. TAKEAWAY: Among the 350 patients coded as having had T1MI, clinical adjudication revealed 138 (39%) as correctly diagnosed; 159 (45%) in fact had T2MI, and 35 (10%) had myocardial injury. Of the 350 patients coded as having had T2MI, 251 (72%) were confirmed, four (1%) were found to have T1MI, and 91 (26%) had myocardial injury. A second physician review demonstrated a high degree of agreement with the initial review, with a 94% agreement in nonchallenging cases and 86% in challenging cases. Hospitals equipped with vs without cardiac catheterization laboratories showed significantly lower misclassification rates (43% vs 58%; P = .0298). IN PRACTICE: 'Among individuals assigned a T1MI claims code, nearly one half have T2MI and many others have myocardial injury; fewer than one half have true T1MI,' the researchers reported. 'Our results also confirm and extend previous work showing that among those with T2MI codes, slightly more than one half have true T2MI, with most of the misclassification related to myocardial injury rather than T1MI. This has critically important implications for epidemiology and public policy' related to acute myocardial infarction. SOURCE: The study was led by Andrea Martinez, MD, of the Department of Medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston. It was published online on July 21 in Journal of the American College of Cardiology. LIMITATIONS: The results may not be generalized to other hospital systems and countries, where patterns of misclassification might differ. The researchers noted external validity assessment across multiple healthcare systems and in countries that have already introduced International Classification of Diseases-11th revision coding would be beneficial. While patterns of misclassification might have changed over time, the analysis was intentionally restricted to the period when codes for both T1MI and T2MI were available. DISCLOSURES: The study received support through a grant to Jason Wasfy from the Massachusetts General Hospital Executive Committee on Research. Individual authors reported receiving other grants and support, including grants from industry. This article was created using several editorial tools, including AI, as part of the process. Human editors reviewed this content before publication.

A New COVID Variant Is Here, And It's More Transmissible — Here Are The Signs And Symptoms
A New COVID Variant Is Here, And It's More Transmissible — Here Are The Signs And Symptoms

Yahoo

timean hour ago

  • Yahoo

A New COVID Variant Is Here, And It's More Transmissible — Here Are The Signs And Symptoms

A new COVID variant known as NB.1.8.1 has made landfall in the United States. As of late May, the variant, which was first detected in China this past January, accounted for 10% of the SARS-CoV-2 sequences tested from around the world, recent surveillance data found. That's a significant jump from 2.5% four weeks prior. A Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) spokesperson told HuffPost that the agency is in regular contact with international partners about the activity of NB.1.8.1. Up until late May, only 20 NB.1.8.1 sequences had been identified in the U.S. — that's below the threshold needed for a variant to appear on the agency's COVID dashboard. (As soon as its prevalence increases, NB.1.8.1 will pop up on the tracker, the spokesperson added.) It's nerve-wracking to hear that a new variant is making the rounds, but infectious disease specialists say there are no glaring differences between the symptoms of NB.1.8.1 and those caused by other versions of SARS-CoV-2. 'Currently it appears that NB.1.8.1 would have similar symptoms to other COVID variants that have recently been circulating,' Dr. Zachary Hoy, a pediatric infectious disease specialist with Pediatrix Medical Group in Nashville, Tennessee, told HuffPost. Here's what to know about the newest COVID variant that's gaining traction around the world. NB.1.8.1's mutations likely make it more transmissible. Compared to the currently dominant variant in the U.S. (LP.8.1), NB.1.8.1 has a handful of new mutations on the spike protein that may enhance its ability to bind to our cells, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). The agency suspects these mutations will increase the virus's transmissibility and, potentially, diminish the effectiveness of neutralizing antibodies that prevent pathogens from latching to our cells. In other words, the variant may be skilled at dodging some of our immune defenses, research suggests. Here are the signs and symptoms doctors are seeing with NB.1.8.1. According to Dr. Amesh Adalja, an infectious diseases expert and senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins University Center for Health Security, NB.1.8.1's symptoms are pretty much the same as those seen with other SARS-CoV-2 variants. Two of COVID's hallmark symptoms are a mild but persistent dry cough and nasal congestion, Hoy said. Many people who come down with COVID are also hit with fatigue and tiredness. 'An infected person can still make it through the day, but they are resting more and feel more tired throughout the day,' Hoy said. Other common symptoms include a fever, chills, a sore throat and muscle aches. 'Some have described recent variants as less intense symptoms as compared to wintertime influenza viruses, but both can have severe symptoms,' Hoy said. There's no evidence suggesting the variant causes more severe disease or an uptick in hospitalizations or deaths, the WHO states. The only noticeable aspect, as of now, is that it's rising in prevalence, Adalja said. How effective are the vaccines against NB.1.8.1? It's too early to know exactly how effective the shots are — as the research on NB.1.8.1 is limited since it's so new — but scientists expect the shots to hold up well. NB.1.8.1 broke off from the Omicron JN.1 lineage, which the 2024-2025 vaccines target. 'The ability of the vaccines to prevent severe illness is intact though protection versus infection is limited and transient,' Adalja said. Anyone who is at risk of severe disease should stay up-to-date with the shots. 'Those in older populations or with underlying immune disorders or on immune-decreasing medications would benefit more from vaccination or those with increased exposure such as healthcare workers,' Hoy added. So if you have a condition that puts you at risk, it's worth getting vaccinated if it's been more than six months since your last vaccine or bout of COVID, Adalja advises. He also added that those who are low-risk likely do not need to go out and get another shot. Know when to treat NB.1.8.1 at home and when to go visit a doctor. Most people will be able to recover at home by resting and staying hydrated. While you're sick, acetaminophen and ibuprofen can help alleviate muscle aches and fevers, Hoy said. And, in most cases, symptoms should clear up within a week. For those who are at risk for severe disease, including older adults and people who are immune-compromised, it's worth contacting a physician as they can prescribe antivirals — Paxlovid and Molnupiravir — that can significantly lower the risk of severe complications and death. As was the case with previous variants, these antivirals work best when started within five days of symptom onset. As for when you should go to an urgent care or emergency room? When you have chest pain, have a hard time waking up or staying awake, or feel confused and disoriented, the CDC advises. Hoy says the most concerning symptom he warns patients about is difficulty breathing. 'If you have COVID or COVID-like illness and have worsening trouble breathing or chest pain, you should be evaluated at your doctor's office, urgent care or the ER,' he said. Related... RFK Jr. Says COVID Shot Will No Longer Be Advised For Healthy Kids, Pregnant Women COVID Cases Are Rising This Summer, But Not All The Data Shows It — Here's Why People Are Reporting A Frightening COVID Symptom Right Now — Here's What To Know

Carolyn Hax: Without explanation, sister-in-law no-shows care for dying mom
Carolyn Hax: Without explanation, sister-in-law no-shows care for dying mom

Washington Post

time2 hours ago

  • Washington Post

Carolyn Hax: Without explanation, sister-in-law no-shows care for dying mom

Adapted from an online discussion. Dear Carolyn: My sister-in-law, Meg, and I have been close from Day 1. We've raised our kids together and supported each other through life's lows and highs. When my father-in-law, her dad, was diagnosed with dementia, we were a natural team — plus my husband, of course — supporting my mother-in-law. But when my mother-in-law was diagnosed with cancer, Meg just disappeared. She made herself scarce emotionally and physically. Everything was left to me and my husband.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store