Stephen Guyenet, a neurobiologist at the University of Washington, predicts that if we continue eating sugar with as much enthusiasm as we have over the last 200 years, by the year 2606 the U.S. diet will be 100% sugar.

The United States Department of Commerce and the USDA (U.S. Department of Agriculture) have been keeping yearly records of sweetener sales since 1822. These are added sweeteners such as cane sugar, high-fructose corn syrup, and maple syrup, not the natural sugars found in fruit.

It seems unlikely that our desire for sweets will recede anytime soon. In fact, the American sweet tooth has grown to epic proportions.

Dr. Guyenet puts these numbers in perspective: “In 1822, we ate the amount of added sugar in one 12 ounce can of soda every five days, while today we eat that much sugar every seven hours.”(2)

The mis-education about the dangers of sugar consumption is widespread. It is in the school systems, the home, and even the medical community. If we take the advice of the USDA and eat a grain-rich, low-fat diet, we are setting ourselves up for disease and obesity. (3)

Dr. Guyenet tells us that the dramatic rise in sugar consumption comes from “a single factor: the industrialization and commercialization of the American food system.”

Sugar Is More Addictive Than Cocaine

Can't kick your sugar habit? You're definitely not alone… Today, Americans eat more than 100 pounds of sugar per year!

Not only does sugar alter gene expression and negatively affect several biochemical pathways - it is also one of the most addictive substances on the planet!

One 2007 study found that sugar is more addictive than cocaine. (4) The group of researchers conducting the study found that sugar surpasses what is called “cocaine reward” in most mammals, including rats and humans.

Opiates and their receptors have largely been attributed to what is known as “reward.” When the opiate receptor is filled over and over again, we feel a sense of pleasure and reward. No matter how harmful a food or substance may be to the body, the sensation of pleasure keeps us coming back for more, while at the same time altering brain chemistry. (5)

Like any addiction, whether to coffee or a relationship, change happens when we realize that we are greater than the sum of chemicals floating around our nervous tissue. This can be tough to swallow - especially when it comes to breaking habits and ending addiction.

3 Ways to Break the Sugar Addiction

In addition to determination and disciple, it is helpful to:

1. Eat sour foods. The sour taste of some foods, like apple cider vinegar, will naturally curb your cravings for sugar.
2. Eat fermented foods and probiotic beverages. Fermented foods are sour, easy to make, and affordable. Probiotic beverages also taste sour, and even a small dosage goes a long way. Both are full of beneficial bacteria, which drive out disease-causing bugs that increase our desire for sugar.
3. Keep a bottle of stevia on hand. Stevia plays a trick on the tongue: while sweet, it is not sugar. If you want that sweet taste, use stevia first.

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