{"id":119623,"date":"2025-08-05T01:31:12","date_gmt":"2025-08-05T01:31:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/119623\/"},"modified":"2025-08-05T01:31:12","modified_gmt":"2025-08-05T01:31:12","slug":"what-really-happens-to-your-body-when-you-drink-mexican-coca-cola","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/119623\/","title":{"rendered":"What Really Happens to Your Body When You Drink Mexican Coca-Cola"},"content":{"rendered":"

Mexican Coke, aka Mexican Coca-Cola, has amassed a cult following in the United States. Sold bottled instead of canned, many people assume that it is healthier than the domestic alternative, as it is made with real sugar. But is it really? We asked a nutritionist, Tara Collingwood, MS, RDN, CSSD, LD\/N, ACSM-CPT, a Board Certified Sports Dietitian and co-author of the Flat Belly Cookbook for Dummies<\/a>, to explain the major differences and to answer the question: What really happens when you drink Mexican Coca-Cola?<\/p>\n

\tYour Body Processes Cane Sugar and HFCS Nearly Identically<\/p>\n

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\u201cMexican Coca-Cola is made with cane sugar instead of high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS),\u00a0which is typically used in American Coca-Cola. While that sounds like a meaningful difference,\u00a0nutritionally, cane sugar and HFCS are nearly identical\u00a0in how your body processes them,\u201d Collingwood says.<\/p>\n

\tYour Liver Handles Them the Same Way<\/p>\n

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Collingwood adds that cane sugar, also called sucrose, is 50% glucose and 50% fructose, while HFCS is 45% glucose and 55% fructose. \u201cNot much of a difference,\u201d she says. \u201cBoth are made up of\u00a0glucose and fructose, and\u00a0your liver still handles the fructose\u00a0the same way, regardless of the source. Excess fructose can increase triglycerides, promote fat accumulation in the liver, and raise your risk for insulin resistance and metabolic syndrome.\u201d<\/p>\n

\tBut, People Maintain the Taste of Mexican Coke Is Better<\/p>\n

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Why do people think Mexican Coke is better? Taste, Collingwood points out. \u201cSome say it tastes \u2018cleaner\u2019 or less cloying. This is subjective and more about preference than health,\u201d Collingwood says.<\/p>\n

\tThere Is Also a \u201cNatural\u201d Halo Surrounding It<\/p>\n

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There is also the \u201cnatural\u201d halo surrounding it. \u201cCane sugar has a more wholesome image than HFCS, partly because of food marketing and partly because of the backlash against HFCS in the early 2000s,\u201d says Collingwood.<\/p>\n

\tAnd, It Is Packaged in Glass<\/p>\n

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The glass bottles are also a selling point for some. \u201cMexican Coke is often in glass, which some associate with purity and a more nostalgic experience,\u201d says Collingwood.<\/p>\n

\tBut, Added Sugar Is Added Sugar<\/p>\n

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What to consider before choosing between them? Firstly, added sugar is added sugar.\u00a0 \u201cWhether it\u2019s HFCS or cane sugar, the health risks are the same: weight gain, increased risk for type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and dental decay,\u201d says Collingwood.6254a4d1642c605c54bf1cab17d50f1e<\/p>\n

\tPortion Size Matters More Than the Sugar Source<\/p>\n

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Next, portion size matters more\u00a0than the sugar source. \u201cA 12-ounce Mexican Coke still contains about\u00a039 grams of sugar,\u201d Collingwood states.<\/p>\n

\tIt Is an Occasional Treat<\/p>\n

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Lastly, look at it as an occasional treat. \u201cIf you\u2019re choosing between the two, do so based on taste, not health. But neither should be a regular beverage,\u201d says Collingwood.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Mexican Coke, aka Mexican Coca-Cola, has amassed a cult following in the United States. Sold bottled instead of…\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":119624,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[37],"tags":[210,1182,67,132,68],"class_list":{"0":"post-119623","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-nutrition","8":"tag-health","9":"tag-nutrition","10":"tag-united-states","11":"tag-unitedstates","12":"tag-us"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@us\/114973578820887064","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/119623","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=119623"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/119623\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/119624"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=119623"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=119623"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=119623"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}