Humans have evolved a taste for sugar because food was usually never both sweet and poisonous
In America, circumcision of males at birth is relatively common. When the Jewish mohel (trained circumciser) performs the ritual called the Brith Milah, what alleviates the pain? He dips the pacifier in wine. But when the obstetrician performs this procedure in the hospital, what alleviates the pain? The pacifier is dipped in Sweet-Ease (a 24 percent super-concentrated sugar solution)12 that activates both dopamine and opioid peptides in the brain. Just as we all have motivation to obtain pleasure, virtually all humans have a sweet tooth at some level. The world loves sugar. There’s not a race, ethnic group, or tribe on the planet that doesn’t understand the meaning of “sweet.” This can be traced back evolutionarily, because there are no foodstuffs on the planet that are both sweet and acutely poisonous. Sweet meant that it was safe to eat. Jamaican ackee fruit, when immature (and not sweet), contains a compound called hypoglycin that can cause Jamaican vomiting sickness and can be life-threatening. But once the mature ackee fruit blooms, all the hypoglycin is metabolized, and it is the Jamaican national dish, canned and shipped worldwide.
References
- Lustig, H., Robert. The Hacking of the American Mind Chapter 6. The Purification of Addiction (Location 1189). New York, NY: Penguin Random House.
Metadata
Type:🔴 Tags: Biology / Neuroscience / Nutrition Status:☀️