Sugar

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Been thinking about how so many substances are illegal yet one of the worst things for our bodies - processed refined sugar - is perfectly allowable and encouraged yet the effects are devastating for our health and it is so incredibly addictive. It can even affect the energy levels just like controlled substances. Anyone see the incredible irony and hypocrisy in this?

I wouldn't boo-hoo if they would just slash the sugar in all products in half, across the board. Get us all used to stuff that isn't so sickly sweet.

Yeah, traditional cane-sugar is not good for humans, but it is a lot better than Aspartame (now called Amino Sweet) and high-fructose corn syrup. Generally, I avoid sweet drinks and foods because I just dislike the sweetness. But, I have been know to snarf a bag of Reeses Peanut-Butter Cups (which, BTW, uses cane sugar).

Stevia products are natural, and do no harm to humans. I like Stevia drinks.

Aspartame is a no-no. Nutrasweet has made me physically ill in the past. I like sugar, but admit I wish I had never gotten used to sweet things like candy. My body would be healthier if I only knew the sweetness in stuff like berries, apples and oranges. When accustomed to sugar, it seems none of that is sweet enough. The refined sugar, and it can come from beets or canes, either one, is like the ultimate high. It's impossible to be satisfied with just an apple or strawberry unless it has sugar sprinkled on top.

I do like Splenda in tea and use it as an alternative. Whenever I go out to eat, I notice there's ten or twenty sugar and aspartame packets but maybe only one or two Splenda, except for Panera Bread and I love that place. When confronted with this reality I think, who still uses Aspartame? Why don't they just phase that out? I am so tired of there being little of everything but Aspartame and processed refined sugar.

Don't forget about things like ketchup. We don't associate ketchup with sugar but it contains lots of it.

I am not a huge ketchup person so...Doesn't stuff like ketchup contain high fructose corn syrup?

The ketchup I have here containst just normal sugar, but then I'm in the Netherlands. I don't think high fructose corn syrup is used much in Europe. Most is just cane or beet sugar.

Artificial sweetners and high fructose corn syrup seem a lot worse for you than natural cane sugar, look at the obesity rates of the US since we've move away from it.

Probably so. The USA is practically one big corn belt. Europe only has a couple of small enclaves were conditions are right for corn growing (Italy's Po valley, and Rumania, as I understand it).

Europeans generally call it maize. I think it grows fine in most of Europe, but sugar beets are better suited to the climate or soil. I looked up a map of corn and sugar beet production, especially northern Europe has a lot of sugar beets. Also, maize is probably less part of the cuisine in Europe, I rarely eat it.

Most of the corn grown around me (in Belgium) is destined for winter animal feed. They use different varieties that are a lot less sweet and not nice to eat at all. Not that I ever tried local corn on the cob. I'll take the locals' word for it and buy my corn on the cob in the shop.
Sugar beets on the other hand are for processing and ultimatelly for human consumption is what a Dutch farmer told me once.
As for sugar.. once found a tin of sardines in tomato sauce that had added sugar and some in dried papaya ingredients too
It's a free world that only cares for profits. No one forces people to feed their children sugar-laden drinks or breakfast cereals. And when all the crap makes you ill just sue http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/09/2 ... 98769.html
I cringe when I see any child under school age drink carbonated drinks but people have their own ideas I suppose. Seeing mothers fill baby bottles with juice concentrate is another one of those things.
People make free choices. I rarely use prepared foods now and even curries I have learnt to make my own to avoid the sugar added to ready-made sauces from jars. I've discovered mirin to sweeten my pancakes and for the rest use unrefined sugar when I can. The nanny state has gone far enough as far as I'm concerned. I make my own choices now. And cooking has become a lot more fun in the bargain too