Human babies respond to sugar quite early. The taste is innately pleasant because the calorie-rich carbohydrates are an essential energy source for humans. The taste for all things sweet develops as you age, but society has helped it along.

In the twentieth century the demand for sugar skyrocketed. Americans went from an annual consumption of a mere 5 pounds in the 1890s to the current intake of 150 pounds. How is this possible?

Soda pop is a major contributor to our immense sugar intake. This is not a beverage that is designed to quench your thirst. It is nothing more than liquid candy. But many Americans consume it with every meal. Kids can even buy it at school.

Sugar absorbs water. In baking, this phenomenon helps keep products moist. In your body it just makes you thirsty.

As a result, drinking beverages with sugar to quench your thirst is counterproductive. This, coupled with the craving for sugar that comes after sugar is consumed, equals a guaranteed repeat customer for the soda pop company.

The other contributor to America’s enormous sugar consumption is hidden sugar. It is in almost everything you eat. Sure, you know it’s in the obvious stuff, like soda and cookies and candy. But it’s also in ketchup, mayonnaise, salad dressings, fruit juice, bread, cereal, soups, pizza, pasta, yogurt, and cheese. And when foods are marketed as fat free, there’s a good possibility the sugar is increased to raise palatability.

Check the labels of the food in your cupboard, and unless it is specifically a sugar-free product, chances are it will have sugar in it. But be sure to look carefully. Sugar has other names, including dextrose, glucose, fructose, lactose, corn syrup, sorghum, galactose, invert sugar, and malt or maltose.