Sugar Can Be Addictive: Animal Studies Show Sugar Dependence:
A Princeton University scientist will present new evidence today demonstrating that sugar can be an addictive substance, wielding its power over the brains of lab animals in a manner similar to many drugs of abuse
Some of you might be wondering, “they had to do a study on that?” Just another reminder that something “cultural” such as cuisine is strongly constrained & shaped by biological parameters. Not only that, but the consequences of said addiction differ due to human genetic variation.
Obviously we must outlaw this dangerous drug at once, and encourage our allies in the Third World to take action to destroy all the sugar cane plantations that produce this awful scourge.
By the way, it was also demonstrated once, long ago, that oxygen is the cause of all crime. All criminals are oxygen addicts, and no crime has ever been proven against anyone who was not a slave of the breathing habit. The case, as you see, is complete.
The analogy with oxygen isn’t apt (I mean, we can live without sugar obviously). There are some people who are relatively unaffected by high sugar consumption in terms of their health. OTOH, there are many who are heavily affected. Unfortunately, preference for sugar has a high basal level, and, the variation doesn’t seem to track metabolic variation much.
That depends on how literally you want to take the admittedly satirical idea of sugar as a dangerous “drug.” Your body very definitely needs sugar (look up “hypoglycemia” sometime), and my brief skim of the Science Daily piece did not locate a clear statement that the study’s findings were applicable only to processed cane sugar (despite the accompanying photograph of a small heap of sugar crystals, which probably came from the magazine’s art department). Besides, it’s amusing to think of government agents impounding and destroying fruit shipments on the grounds that they represented an attempt to smuggle that dangerous drug, sugar, into the country.
Your body very definitely needs sugar (look up “hypoglycemia” sometime)
well, let me be specific, i was thinking of disachharides as opposed to complex carbs. the problems with the former can manifest with the latter of course, but there is a large difference of degree.
Besides, it’s amusing to think of government agents impounding and destroying fruit shipments on the grounds that they represented an attempt to smuggle that dangerous drug, sugar, into the country.
well, i was thinking of a sin tax. i think sugar is arguably a better candidate than alcohol, though i haven’t crunched the cost vs. benefit analysis.
Purely anecdotal, but having an alcoholic brother who, when sober, cannot seem to ingest enough sweets and carbs, I’ve wondered (since the 80s) if there is not a relationship between the two.