this post was submitted on 05 Nov 2024
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I was explaining this to my daughter in quite simplified terms the other day- we evolved to taste sugar and enjoy it because finding a sweet edible plant meant we had a source of energy to help us hunt that day. Pretty useful if you're a hunter-gatherer.

So we seek out sugar. Now we can get it whenever we want it, in much more massive quantities than we are supposed to be processing. Most of us are addicted. I'm not an exception.

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[–] [email protected] 7 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago) (1 children)

You're perfectly right. And it's not just about energy, which there is a lot of in oils and proteins too. In nature, the sweetest things you'll get are different kinds of fruit - all packed full of vitamins, antioxidants, fiber and whatnot. And they're seasonal, so if you don't eat them right away, you're going to have to wait another year. So our taste makes us eat as much as we can. Sugar, of cours, is cheating.

(I just happen to be on my way to buy some pastries.)

[–] [email protected] 1 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

The sweetest thing in nature is honey, nearly pure sugar that doesn't spoil. Honey tends to be available year round in Africa where our taste buds evolved.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago) (1 children)

And with medicinal properties ;) A bit tricky to get though.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 3 weeks ago

A bit, but it's a major caloric source in forager diets.