How Sugar Enslaved the World

This is sugar.

In 1850, the average person in

the world ate

1.8 kilo of sugar per year.

In 2017, in the United States, A

person consumed 1.8

kilo in about 11 days.

This is three times the top range of

what the World Health Organization

advises.

So how did this happen?

Sugar is in everything you eat.

From breakfast to dessert, but just

500 years ago, this cube would be worth

its weight in gold.

The quest for this innocent sweet was

responsible for the transatlantic

slave trade.

It kickstarted modern capitalism

and created an obesity pandemic.

Humans have always sweetened their

food with grapes, dates, or honey,

but sugar...

is special.

You can sprinkle it, dissolve it in water

to make lemonade, add it to flour.

The uses are endless and you can

store it forever.

An echo of how special sugar used

to be can be found in many festive

events, from Eid to Christmas, Hanukkah

and Halloween.

Easter in Songkran, Moon Festival in

China, or just a big wedding cake.

Over the last 500 years, sugar

changed from a luxury you only

brought out during a celebration,

to a substance you can't escape.

So how did sugar become so big?