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People who have a liking for foods that are sweet are said to have a “sweet tooth.” That defines me well. I was born with a sweet tooth, and I still have a weakness for sweets. At this point a lot of eyebrows may be going up. How can a guy with a sweet tooth have the audacity to write about the health hazards of sugar?
I’ll explain, but first, let’s do a quick review of sugar’s history. Emperor Darius of ancient Persia invaded India in 510 BC where he learned the sweet secrets of sugar cane. Later, Alexander the Great brought sugar to the Mediterranean region. When Arabs invaded Persia in 642 AD, they learned the sugar secret, and they established sugar production in Egypt and elsewhere. Our word sugar comes from the Arabic word shakar.
Crusaders discovered sugar in the 11th century AD, and it became a prized luxury in Europe. Although sugar became an important trade item, only the rich could afford it because of its high cost. Sugar cane was introduced to the Caribbean area by 1500 AD, and before long, a growing sugar industry was launched.
Sugar plantations were very labor intensive, and this became a factor in the slave trade. (This was the first sad sugar/slave connection.) As sugar production increased in the New World, slaves were imported from Africa in growing numbers. Sugar profits grew and it became known as “white gold.” Britain taxed it heavily until the sugar tax was abolished in 1874. Until then sugar had been a luxury, but as prices dropped over the following decades it became affordable for most people.
The result was that sugar intake increased dramatically throughout the twentieth century. In 1900, average per capita intake was about fifteen pounds a year, but by 1980, this went up to 120 pounds a year. By 1998, average consumption was over 150 pounds of sugar a year, much of it hidden in processed foods or drinks.
Clearly, most of us consume far more sugar than our great-grandparents did, and it is this skyrocketing rise that contributes to many of our health problems today. When people consumed only fifteen pounds a year, sugar was not a health problem. Today, with many people consuming ten to twenty times that much sugar, it is increasingly recognized as a serious contributor to some of our major health problems today.
At the beginning of this article, I confessed to having a sweet tooth. It’s true. When I was in high school back in the early 50s, I had to get a Three Musketeers candy bar to eat on the way home every day. I also loved to eat cookies, cake, pie, and ice cream. If a food was sweet, I was almost certain to like it. I became a sugar junkie, chained by seductive sweets. (Sugar addiction is the second sad sugar/slave connection.)
So, did I break my sugar addiction? Maybe! Breaking the Three Musketeers habit was a necessity when I went to college. My parents could not afford all my college expenses, and we didn’t have college loans in those days. I worked my way through college with jobs that paid 35 cents an hour. Even though candy bars were only a nickel back then, they were a luxury I could ill afford. Quitting was tough. It may seem small, but it was a huge step. It taught me that if I set my mind to it, I could make any change needed in my life.
My meals were covered with my college costs, so I still enjoyed choosing pie or cake with every meal. That changed during medical school and internship. L.A. County General Hospital paid interns only $200 a month, but gave them three square meals a day, plus a midnight meal for those on call. Since my salary had to cover our home, utility, food and car expenses, my wife encouraged me to eat at the hospital!
In addition to three full meals a day, I enjoyed the hospital midnight meal every second or third night when I was on call. Within six months, I had gained twenty pounds and was growing out of my clothes. Once again, economic necessity came to the fore. There was no way we could afford new clothes. I made the decision to quit the midnight meal and all pastries. Within a few months, my clothes fit well again!
I still enjoy sweets today – usually some kind of wholesome fruit. On rare occasions I may have a piece of cake or pie, but I never have sugar-laden drinks or candy. Why am I telling this story? Today many people suffer from health problems caused by too much sugar. If you are one who struggles to free yourself from sugar’s seductive chains, don’t give up. You can do it. I know, because I have been there.
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