Alexander Pushkin once said, “Ecstasy is a glassful of tea and a piece of sugar in the mouth” (Thinkexist.com, 2015). For those who enjoy sugar (and who doesn’t?), finding healthy options was once very difficult. Today, however, there are many natural options from which to choose. This is important because the consumption of sugar is at an all-time high, and it is affecting the health and well-being of millions of Americans.
Human beings are born with an innate craving for sweets. This craving has existed for millions of years, ever since the very first humans tasted honey or a delicious ripe apple. Our ancestors used sugar in many forms to provide them with quick energy, which was needed for survival if they had to flee an enemy or a potential predator (Pappas, 2011; Sohn, 2010).
Approximately 15 million years ago, a dramatic change occurred in the way our bodies metabolized and stored calories obtained from sugar. Our ancestors developed genetic mutations that made it easy for them to store calories and gain weight when they ate fructose (the sugar commonly found in fruit). These mutations allowed them to survive seasonal periods of famine when there was no fruit or other form of sugar. The genetic mutations had another effect, too. They led to an increase in the amount of uric acid in our bodies and the amount of time that uric acid remains in our bodies after eating fructose (or other forms of sugar). High levels of uric acid can lead to diseases such as gout, kidney disease, diabetes, and hypertension (Sohn, 2010).
The genetic mutations that allowed our bodies to metabolize and store sugars in a more productive way served us well when we lived in a hunting, gathering, and physically active society. However, the ancient mutation that once supported our very survival no longer supports health in our modern times. Along with the easy availability of great amounts of food and sugar as well as a more sedentary lifestyle, our genetic ability to store calories from sugar may actually contribute to illness and disease instead of saving our lives (Sohn, 2010).