North Americans crave sweets. Food marketers have capitalized on our collective sweet tooth
by adding sugars, of one type or another, to virtually every type of prepared food we buy, from
vegetable soups to bottled waters. We eat and drink an average equivalent of 20 teaspoons of
these added sugars per day (80 grams), mostly in the form of sucrose (as table sugar) and
fructose (as high-fructose corn syrup in soft drinks). Medical professionals say that the impact
from constantly overindulging in sweets can be devastating, from obesity to diabetes, high
triglycerides that can lead to heart disease and strokes, and disruptive spike-and-fall energy
patterns as blood sugar (glucose) levels surge and plummet.
Fortunately, not everyone experiences strong sugar cravings. For some, sweets inspire only a
mild preference, but the bottom line is that modern society as a whole often displays the
evolutionary behavior of those apes under the fig tree: glucose gluttony. Current concerns
have blossomed because we are bingeing not on the natural sugars in ripe produce, but on
products packed with added sugars and little or none of the fibre, vitamins, minerals, and
phytonutrients in whole foods. Although the human body responds indiscriminately to both
natural and added sugars, the latter typically are found in higher amounts and in foods that
offer quick energy but little of the beneficial nutrition needed for optimum health.