Biology is crazy. It’s easy to look at the technologies we have created, such as computers, and think that we are pushing the limits of complexity. But that’s when you realize that the human body is much more complex than even the most advanced computer chip - by volume! We work through the interaction of an unfathomable amount of chemicals in microscopic structures. And yet, somehow, it all works out to macroscopic effects that can be comprehended by the severely limited capacity of our human brains. When we hurt ourselves, the incredible machine which is our body repairs the damage fully autonomously. When we swallow something which contains nutrients, it autonomously figures out how to extract these nutrients. And when a harmful substance enters our body, it usually deals with it somehow. Well, usually. Looking at how incredibly sophisticated this whole system is, it’s unsurprising that it has glitches. Chemicals that our bodies did not evolve the optimal strategy for. In some cases it’s over soon. There are poisons that kill in minutes, if not seconds. But other substances might take years to kill you. Consuming them might even be desirable as they either directly manipulate parts of the brain associated with pleasurable experiences or trigger other mechanisms that cause us to have pleasurable experiences.
There are plants which contain these substances. Humans are very curious in nature, so you can bet that at some point there was a human who shoved one of these plants into their mouth. By that, the plants which affect us have long been known and are firmly integrated in our collective knowledge and in some cases even our culture. These plants weren’t dangerous. There was a limited supply of them and they contained only a little of these substances. It was nearly impossible for humans to consume too much of it, so why would evolution invent mechanisms to deal with it?
But then came agriculture, and those plants were top tier on the list of plants humans wanted to make more of. But it did not stop there. Agriculture introduced the ability to select for crops that contain more of the substance to breed ever more potent strains of the plants that humans liked so much. The people didn’t know about chemistry, atoms, molecules and biology. They just knew what plants they liked better. And just like that, there was more of the substance in existence. It’s a brilliant example of how the gene is the fundamental unit of evolution and not the organism. The genes that caused the plants to produce the substance were amplified, because of how they acted on different organisms. At this point it already starts to become problematic, because the reproduction time of the plants is much shorter than that of humans, the plants could evolve more of the substance faster than the human body could evolve to deal with it.
But that doesn’t really matter because it is overshadowed by what comes next. Humans started to understand chemistry. They figured out what substance it is they liked so much and they learned how to extract it from the plant. Where they had to consume a whole bunch of indigestible fiber and other nonsense before, they could now indulge in the substance in its purest form. They quickly learned that there is such a thing as “too much”, but at that point it was too late. The substance did not just make them feel good, it made them feel too good. So good that they couldn’t do without it anymore. Now it’s indisputable that there is a problem. People died because of this.
One might think the best solution would be to stop producing this substance, but that’s easier said than done. Those who produce it understand that it is the best product to sell, as it naturally makes their customers return. Governments and lobby groups fight over how dangerous the substance really is while people trying to reduce their consumption fight their own desire to consume more. Addiction acts both on the individual, as well as the societal level.
Did you guess what substance I was talking about? If you’d like to guess, feel free to stop reading and think about it for a moment. Ready? Ok, if you guessed cocaine, you’re not wrong. Coca leaves were chewed for thousands of years before they were cultivated and we figured out a process to extract the cocaine. It was legal for a long time until governments finally managed to ban it. Yet, banning drugs is an ineffective measure to prevent their production, sale and consumption, so people all over the world still consume it, struggle with addiction and die from overdoses. And yet, cocaine is not the substance I was thinking about while writing the above paragraphs.
But maybe you already guessed opium. The text fits perfectly, as it is a naturally occurring substance in poppies which were bred to produce so many seeds the resulting plant is difficult to even recognize. Wars were fought using this substance. It is used to this day for medical applications, especially since chemical processes allow us to refine it into heroin or oxycodone. Unfortunately, this gives the pharma industry the ability to constantly convince governments and regulators to allow them to get more people hooked on opioids. The United States faces an opioid epidemic because of them and all around the world lives are ruined by the crippling addiction they cause. But despite this perfect fit, it’s not the class of substances I mean.
You might have thought of something I didn’t and I’d not be surprised. It really is a common story when it comes to drugs. But you’ve only correctly guessed what I was thinking of if that thing is … sugar. Yes, it may come as a surprise to you but I encourage you to read the above paragraphs again, knowing that the substance is sugar. It’s surprising because we don’t tend to think of sugar as a drug. After all, the human body needs sugar to survive. However, it can produce the sugar itself (and the same is true for opioids by the way). Giving the sugar to the body directly makes it easy for your digestion, but it’s not necessary. Consuming too much sugar, on the other hand, can have severely negative consequences. And it is addictive. The problem is, most people don’t even know they are addicted to sugar. They say they “have a sweet tooth”. It’s just a craving or a habit. Nobody ever seriously admits they are addicted to sugar. Probably because … well … everyone is.
But that doesn’t mean it’s natural to be addicted to sugar. It just means that the powerful sugar lobby has had its way with us undisturbed for quite some time. It’s the only highly addictive substance you are allowed to give to children! I usually make fun of people when they do this but in this case I think it is appropriate: won’t anyone please think of the children?! Can you believe that the sugar lobby has us so lulled in that we make decisions actively harmful to children? Consider how crazy that is, children are usually the trump card in any debate.
So should you stop eating sugar? Probably, but I know you won’t because I know I won’t. Just because sugar is a drug, doesn’t mean you can’t eat it. I’m not strictly against drugs, I think people should be allowed to do with their bodies what they want as long as they are fully aware of the consequences. Sugary food is delicious and I sure would miss it if I stopped but trying to cut down on its consumption is not only healthy for your weight but has other positive effects as well. And just like any addiction, the craving gets less once you’ve worked your way through withdrawal. So all I’m asking of you is to be aware of what sugar actually is and what it does to you when you consume it.
Oh, and especially think twice before you give it to children.
