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You know that one good tank top that you wear like all year round? I mean it fits you just right so you wear it all the time but maybe now it's getting a little old. Shifting my wardrobe from summer to fall is always a challenge. Luckily, Quince offers timeless and high quality items that I
I love so I can make sure my wardrobe stays fresh and I don't blow my budget. They've got cashmere sweaters from $50, pants for every occasion, washable silk tops. And my favorite part, all Quince items are priced 50 to 80% less than similar brands. By partnering directly with top factories, Quince cuts out the cost of the middleman
and passes the savings on to us. And Quince only works with factories that use safe, ethical, and responsible manufacturing practices and premium fabrics and finishes. I recently got this 100% European linen short sleeve shirt. Ooh, I love linen. And you know, it was so comfortable, so cute. I can finally retire my old ratty tank top.
RIP. Make switching seasons a breeze with Quince's high quality closet essentials. Go to quince.com slash dark history for free shipping on your order and 365 day returns. That's quince, Q-U-I-N-C-E dot com slash dark history to get free shipping and 365 day returns. quince.com slash dark history.
This episode is brought to you by Progressive Insurance. Most of you listening right now are probably multitasking. Yep, while you're listening to me talk, you're probably also driving, cleaning, exercising, or maybe even grocery shopping. But if you're not in some kind of moving vehicle, there's something else you could be doing right now. Getting an auto quote from Progressive Insurance.
It's easy and you can save money by doing it from your phone. Drivers who save by switching to Progressive save nearly $750 on average. And auto customers qualify for an average of seven discounts. Discounts for having multiple vehicles on your policy, being a homeowner and more.
So just like your favorite podcast, Progressive will be with you 24-7, 365 days a year, so you're protected no matter what. Multitask right now. Quote your car insurance at Progressive.com to join the over 28 million drivers who trust Progressive.
What do we eat 60 pounds of every year?
I know you're going somewhere dirty. I'll give you a hint. There have been studies that show it's more addictive than cocaine and millions of people were enslaved because of it. It's a billion dollar business that's in bed with the government and actually it's in bed with us too. She's right behind you. I'm talking about sugar.
Oh yes, sugar may be sweet, but its history is bitter to say the least.
I'm here. Hi. Showed up again. I hope you're having a wonderful day today. My name is Bailey Sarian, and I'd like to welcome you to my podcast, Dark History. Here we believe that history, it doesn't have to be boring. I mean, yes, it might be tragic, and sometimes it's happy, but either way, it's our dark history. So just shut up and let me tell you something really quick, because today...
It's October. Oh my God. I know. It's finally the season for us creepozoids to thrive. I lose my shit when I see like that huge ass 12 foot tall Home Depot skeleton. My neighbor Bob has one on his lawn. I low key think he's running a cult, but like that's just like, that's a different story. Okay, so I really look forward to this season because candy is
is everywhere, right? I look forward to Halloween because this is when I get to steal my nephew's Halloween candy. And yeah, I eat it. What are you gonna do about it? You're gonna cry. Don't give me that look. I left him some candy corn. Kids don't, they get so much free shit, okay? I want free shit. But if I go to the door and I say trick or treat, people tell me to leave. So I gotta have the kids do the work for me. I mean...
Leave me alone. Look, most parents worry about, you know, during the season, they worry that their kids are just gonna eat too much Halloween candy and it's bad because, hello, it's all sugar, you know? But like, I wanted to know how bad is it really? You know, I've always heard that rumor that sugar is more addictive than cocaine, but it's like, that can't be right.
So what is up with sugar? Like, where does it come from? Who can I thank for discovering it? Columbus, was that you? Well, why are we eating more of it than ever before? Right? That's actually something to marinate on. But is there someone out there who is profiting off of our pixie sticks addiction? Well, as per usual, I'm afraid the truth is like, it's just much more complicated than it even needs to be.
because you're like, "It's just sugar. It can't be that bad." Martha, listen when I tell you. We take some sharp lefts into funky town with this story. So buckle in because we are moving, baby. Sugar comes from a plant called sugarcane, and it's been with humanity since the beginning of time. I mean, it's believed like prehistoric humans would chew on the plant because it had the sweetness to it and it was yummy.
Sugarcane was first traced to the indigenous people of New Guinea. But then around the years 800 BC to like 600 AD, the sugarcane plant started to pop up everywhere. Now the origins of the sugarcane plant are kind of like corn. Yeah. Nobody knows really exactly how the plant popped up in India, but it did. And thank God it did because it's honestly like thanks to India that we have sugar everywhere.
In general. So in 100 AD, they created an early version of a sugar mill, which was like kind of like a factory where you could break down sugar cane to extract the sugar out of it. It like really leveled up the way people ate sugar. So like no longer did they have to chew on the end of the sugar cane itself, you know? Didn't have to look like Bugs Bunny eating on that carrot, you know? So this was groundbreaking.
Now, at this point, they were extracting the sugar out of the plants by like cutting them up. They would boil it and then they would remove the sweet parts out of the plant. Now, they were able to turn it into like different forms, almost like lumps of crystallized sugar and also
syrups. So they would use these like in their drinks, their puddings, and anything that could be a treat. Indian civilizations even created the very first hard candy. This was called khanda. But surprise!
Surprise! Sugar wasn't just a treat for people to enjoy. Back then, sugar was also used as an important medicine. You know that one good tank top that you wear like all year round? I mean, it fits you just right. So you wear it all the...
time, but maybe now it's getting a little old. Shifting my wardrobe from summer to fall is always a challenge. Luckily, Quince offers timeless and high quality items that I love so I can make sure my wardrobe stays fresh and I don't blow my budget. They've got cashmere sweaters from $50, pants for every occasion, washable silk tops, and my favorite part, all Quince items are priced $50 to
80% less than similar brands. By partnering directly with top factories, Quince cuts out the cost of the middleman and passes the savings on to us. And Quince only works with factories that use safe, ethical, and responsible manufacturing practices and premium fabrics and finishes. I recently got this 100% European linen short sleeve shirt. Ooh!
I love linen and you know, it was so comfortable, so cute. I can finally retire my old ratty tank top.
R.I.P. Make switching seasons a breeze with Quince's high quality closet essentials. Go to quince.com slash dark history for free shipping on your order and 365 day returns. That's quince, Q-U-I-N-C-E dot com slash dark history to get free shipping and 365 day returns. quince.com slash dark history.
This episode is brought to you by Progressive Insurance. Most of you listening right now are probably multitasking. Yep, while you're listening to me talk, you're probably also driving, cleaning, exercising, or maybe even grocery shopping. But if you're not in some kind of moving vehicle, there's something else you could be doing right now. Getting an auto quote from Progressive Insurance.
It's easy and you can save money by doing it from your phone. Drivers who save by switching to Progressive save nearly $750 on average. And auto customers qualify for an average of seven discounts. Discounts for having multiple vehicles on your policy, being a homeowner and more.
So just like your favorite podcast, Progressive will be with you 24-7, 365 days a year, so you're protected no matter what. Multitask right now. Quote your car insurance at Progressive.com to join the over 28 million drivers who trust Progressive. Progressive Casualty Insurance Company and affiliates. National average 12-month savings of $744 by new customer survey who saved with Progressive between June 2022 and May 2023. Potential savings will vary. Discounts not available in all states and situations.
In India, they believe that sugar was like a stomach relief medicine and even a kidney cleanser. Go on. The thought was that like they would eat the sugar and then when they went number two, any of the bad viruses or toxins that were in the body, it would be removed with said poopage. So
So they thought like sugar was gonna do that. And then in 327 AD, the Greeks and Romans, they were introduced to sugar. They're like, "Hi, it's nice to meet you. You're so delicious." An army general wrote a letter home describing the sweet taste. Now it's kind of romantic though, because they've never had this before, okay? They've never had sugar before. Could you imagine trying sugar for the first time? It would be like, "What the fuck is this?"
Blowing my mind. So this guy, he wrote, quote, "A reed in India that brings forth honey without the help of bees, from which an intoxicating drink is made, though the plant bears no fruit." End quote. And they didn't use these sweet sugar crystals in teas and cakes like, you know, you would think. They too saw it as medicinal, and they would sell syrups to physicians to be used as medicine.
I know, I was like, oh my God, just like Mary Poppins.
♪ Just a spin, pop a little sugar, make the medicine ♪ You know, she was onto something there. So sugar was referred to as quote, "Indian medicine" for years. And Greeks and Romans believed that sugar could help symptoms from like a bad cold, say like fevers and coughs. And I guess they would mix up a super sweet concoction and like feed it to the sick people like cough syrup. It was also said to be used for
People had really like messed up stomachs. Maybe they ate too much and they're super full. Yeah. So they would drink this and it would help with that. So they started serving sugar after meals to help with people's indigestion. And like, there's actually a theory out there that this is why we eat dessert after meals.
Dinner. And that's when my brain exploded and I was like, this is it. I'm done. I know everything. I know everything there is to know about life. You know? I'm maxed out. Mind blowing. Right? No? Okay. Thanks for making me feel weird. Paul. Dick.
I always feel judged. Anyways, Jo, you look cute though. Okay, sugar, you guys, focus. Jeez. Sugar at this point was only for the elite. And like for a really long time, it had a reputation as this exclusive, effective Indian medicine. And then eventually, a university in Iran studying all types of medicine like across the world helped develop sugarcane,
into crystals similar to like what we know today. The Middle East, specifically the Egyptians, they perfected the planting and harvesting of the sugar cane plant. They even figured out like how to create crystallized sugar in large quantities. And it continued to be used as medicine, but it was also used to create like expensive desserts for such an eye roll, but it was for like royal parties.
They would even like combine sugar with ground almonds to make these gigantic marzipan statues at royal banquets. That was a mouthful. But they were making these gigantic statues at royal banquets of like someone important with sugar and almond. That's flattering, I guess. You're edible. Fun.
Creative! And then, by the year 1099, sugar found its way into Europe because of the Crusades. The Crusades were a series of really devastating wars between religions that lasted for over 200 years.
Yeah, just a little speed bump in our history. 200 years. Each religion was trying to take control of different religious sites around the world. And this led to millions of people just getting murdered. Millions dead. That should really be the story, you guys. Fuck sugar. Right? I didn't pick it.
There's Paul. You said it in the room, Paul. Don't put this on me. And since like a lot of these wars took place in the Middle East, a lot of like things were stolen and then brought back to Europe. Like rice, perfume, and even like sugar. Yep, sugar. Okay, so I thought this was a little funny. When people from the Crusades returned home to England, they brought sugar with them and they called it
The new spice. I mean, like there's nothing more stereotypically British than considering sugar a spice. And people were obsessed with this spice.
Like sugar actually started going by the nickname white gold. And that's because it was expensive as hell. In London, it started going for two shillings per pound. So in modern day American dollars, that's $50 a pound. Yeah, that's a lot. So of course, like only members of the upper class could afford such a rare and expensive luxury. And because there was such a demand for it in Europe, there was like
always a shortage. So if you wanted sugar, you had to have it imported from another country. In the late 1400s, people in Europe tried to grow sugar cane themselves, but I guess like it didn't really work out that well. And a big flop. No one should have done it. Sugar cane needs like a warmer, more humid climate to successfully grow. And where it was, it just wasn't going to happen. Stop trying to make it happen.
So Europe found a shortcut to getting their own sugar. They would import the sugarcane plants from other countries and then refine it
themselves. Hmm, sneaky or maybe a good thing. I don't know. But still, getting that sugar cane was expensive and it took a long time. People wanted it now. And sugar sellers, they wanted another solution that would make them more money faster. And this is when one of the most infamous explorers of all history enters the scene.
Mr. Christopher. You know that one good tank top that you wear like all year round? I mean, it fits you just right. So you wear it all the time, but maybe now it's getting a little old. Shifting my wardrobe from summer to fall is always a challenge. Luckily, Quince offers timeless and high quality items that I
love so I can make sure my wardrobe stays fresh and I don't blow my budget. They've got cashmere sweaters from $50, pants for every occasion, washable silk tops, and my favorite part, all Quince items are priced $50 to
80% less than similar brands. By partnering directly with top factories, Quince cuts out the cost of the middleman and passes the savings on to us. And Quince only works with factories that use safe, ethical, and responsible manufacturing practices and premium fabrics and finishes. I recently got this 100% European linen short sleeve shirt. Ooh!
I love linen and you know, it was so comfortable, so cute. I can finally retire my old ratty tank top.
R.I.P. Make switching seasons a breeze with Quince's high quality closet essentials. Go to quince.com slash dark history for free shipping on your order and 365 day returns. That's quince, Q-U-I-N-C-E dot com slash dark history to get free shipping and 365 day returns. quince.com slash dark history.
This episode is brought to you by Progressive Insurance. Most of you listening right now are probably multitasking. Yep, while you're listening to me talk, you're probably also driving, cleaning, exercising, or maybe even grocery shopping. But if you're not in some kind of moving vehicle, there's something else you could be doing right now. Getting an auto quote from Progressive Insurance.
It's easy and you can save money by doing it from your phone. Drivers who save by switching to Progressive save nearly $750 on average. And auto customers qualify for an average of seven discounts. Discounts for having multiple vehicles on your policy, being a homeowner and more.
So just like your favorite podcast, Progressive will be with you 24-7, 365 days a year, so you're protected no matter what. Multitask right now. Quote your car insurance at Progressive.com to join the over 28 million drivers who trust Progressive.
Progressive Casualty Insurance Company and affiliates. National average 12-month savings of $744 by new customer surveyed who saved with Progressive between June 2022 and May 2023. Potential savings will vary. Discounts not available in all states and situations.
On Columbus's second trip into the New World, he makes a stop in the Canary Islands to refuel his ship. He needs some gas. The Canary Islands are located right by modern-day Spain, and by the 1400s, the Spanish had already taken it over.
So by the time Mr. Columbus got to these islands, he sees all of these sugar plantations being set up. And he's wondering, like, what's going on? Trying to get all the information. So like, what is this? Right. What's going on? So he's trying to figure out, well, how is he how are they getting all of this work done? And and how are they doing this?
And it turns out, like, they were all using the enslaved people on the island. So they were getting...
a lot of help from people who do not did not want to be there okay and look it was working really well for a long time until it didn't and the Spanish had just completely decimated the forest so there was like nowhere for the sugarcane to grow so he's looking at this model that they have going on on the Canary Islands and he's feeling inspired
He's like, "Yay, I'm gonna Pinterest this." But he thinks to himself like, "Hey, what if I started this really great idea? I did the same thing, but I did it in a new place." He's like, "Easy, take over an island, enslave everyone in sight, murder the people who refuse to make your sugar."
That's so easy, I could do that in a day. So he brings sugar cane plants to the islands of modern day Haiti and the Dominican Republic. And these places, he brought them there because these places had the perfect temperatures for sugar farming. Now that Europe, especially England, had the direct connect for sugar, they could not get enough. Sugar became a huge part of the European economy and it was a necessity.
There was a huge market for it and the only thing standing in the way of more money was how quickly they could make it. You know, like they needed more workers to make more sugar. Sugar plantations in places like Haiti and the Dominican Republic and even Brazil come up with a solution. They decided if the labor available like on the islands wasn't enough, they could bring in other people from other countries
to do it for them. This is when Spanish and Portuguese colonists start working with sugar plantations and they decide to invade different parts of Africa. They just go nuts. When they got to these small little towns, they just destroyed people's homes,
the villages all across Africa and they trafficked entire families from their villages. They then forced them onto a giant slave ship to go and work on one of these sugar plantations. This became part of something called the Transatlantic Slave Trade, which was a huge
huge trafficking operation. It lasted for over 300 years from 1501 to 1867. 300 years! Now, the transatlantic slave trade should be its own episode, honestly. Like, there is no possible way we could do it any justice. It's just this part of our story. But it's impossible to talk about sugar without it. And that's what's even more... You're like, what? It's sugar. It's just...
The crossover I did not expect. Before the sugar boom, a few hundred thousand Africans were trafficked. But after the sugar demand...
went up out of control. Over 12 million Africans were brought over. 12 million people! 12 million people? That's a lot of people, hello, yeah. So is it fair to say that a huge part of why the transatlantic slave trade became as big as it did was because of sugar? Literally people just having a sweet tooth and wanting more of it.
and then like just taking it too far. History is just bananas. Insane. So the ride from Africa to these plantations was called the Middle Passage. This trip took 80 days on the slave ships. And honestly, you were lucky if you survived.
People were packed below the deck so tightly, they were literally like body to body, barely able to sit up or even move around. And like thousands of people died on this journey. But even the people who did make it to the sugar plantations would struggle to survive. The work that was waiting for them was absolutely backbreaking and brutal. The plantation owners would make the enslaved people start working at 6 a.m.,
sometimes earlier, and they wouldn't be allowed to go home until late into the night. Enslaved people were expected to plant thousands of sugar cane stems, like all across acres of land. And they did it every day in the hot ass sun, okay? And when it came to harvesting the cane plant, you'd really, it was like aggressive. I don't know if that's the word, but I'm gonna use it. It was aggressive because you'd have to like take a knife and then you'd have to hack off
the root of each sugar cane individually. That's not easy. These are huge plants. Each sugar cane is like 10 feet high. You then have to like carry the heavy stocks that you harvested to another location to have the sugar cane broken up
and extracted from it. Enslaved people were treated horribly. They were also given no breaks. They were malnourished and not given any medical treatment. The average enslaved sugar plantation worker only lived from like seven to nine years after they got to the plantation. By the 19th century, 90%
90% of all enslaved people were working on these plantations. It's so crazy to think that millions of people at once were being forced into this type of slavery all because of sugar. But for the plantation owners, this was a huge money maker. They didn't have to pay for labor, okay, or these sugar cane plants.
and anytime there was a need for more sugar, more enslaved people would be trafficked in and new sugar plantations would pop up. It was like unstoppable. It was a sick cycle. Over in Europe, eating sugar was still considered one of like the ultimate indulgences. It was a status symbol. The more sugar you had, the more money, the more power,
You had to flex. Yeah, sugar. Isn't that funny? So to show off, people would have, like the rich people, they would have these huge, lavish dinner parties and end the night serving expensive
Dessert courses. Fun, I wanna go. I want an expensive dessert course, what's that? King Henry VIII, who I guess was the king who had like all of his wives' heads chopped off, that guy, he even had his own personal sugar dealer.
So this guy, this guy would like make him special king only candies, which I love that idea. I want someone to make me special candy. But his most important job was creating these huge, impressive like sculptures all out of sugar. It was cool, right? Like, wow.
That's sugar. He would have the sugar maker create models of his war forts and his cannons so he could like have them out on display when guests would come and visit him. The only thing better than having a model toy village is like
Being able to eat it. That's the best part. And also that love of sugar passed on to Henry's daughter, Queen Elizabeth the First. You know the one with like the crazy red hair? You remember? Come on. Henry once had a sugar model made for her and it was St. Paul's Cathedral, all made of sugar. She's like, "A sugar church?"
I mean, I don't really know. Maybe she loved it, actually, and I'm just a bitch. But what everyone did know was that the queen was completely addicted to sugar. I guess it was like she was hardcore addicted to sugar. Like her teeth started turning black and even rotted out of her mouth. That's a little much, right? So I guess a ton of, not a ton, but like,
a handful of her teeth fell out but it kind of because i relate because it affected her speech and people had like a really hard time understanding her because she had teeth it's not funny so remember how the ancient greeks and the romans thought that there were like medicinal qualities to sugar well apparently queen elizabeth's dentists they also agreed i know this was
way long ago. They thought that the solution to saving the queen's teeth was to have her brush her teeth with toothpaste made from sugar. I don't know.
They were guessing. Now luckily for Elizabeth, she was the queen. So instead of like being mocked for her rotten teeth, she instead became a trendsetter. Oh my god, I know. The upper classes let their teeth turn black and rot out of their mouths like hers. That's so embarrassing. They literally
They literally let their teeth rot out because the queen's teeth rotted out. Like you guys, your breath probably did not smell fresh. So there were experts who studied corpses from the 16th and the 17th century. And they said, they're like looking at these like,
Corpses, great. They said that the upper class people were buried in expensive clothes and they were put in lead coffins, but their teeth were rotted to the core. Nasty. But it wasn't just the rich people who wanted in on this trend. Since sugar was only available to the wealthy, poorer subjects and servants would blacken their teeth with whatever they had to
to make it look like their teeth were rotting. Isn't that so embarrassing? What animals we are. Silly us. Eventually, like in the early 1800s, there was so much production happening that sugar, specifically brown sugar and molasses,
started to become widely available to the everyday people. Refined white sugar was still an expensive luxury, but the everyday person wasn't using the sugar to create sculptures of churches, you know? They were using it as a preservative for fruits and jams. It would help it, you know, last longer.
By 1801, the average person's consumption was about 30 pounds of sugar per year. So it sounds like a lot, right? Just like inject me with the sugar. So over in America during the Civil War in 1861, Northerners were cut off from pretty much all connections to sugar. So some abolitionists began to promote the sugar beet, which is a different plant from the more common sugar cane.
It was called free sugar because it was produced without slave labor. Wow, what an idea, huh? As sugar beets became popular, there was suddenly like more than enough brown and even white refined sugar to go around. Now, since this was available to everybody, there was a surplus of it.
And the prices also went way down. And by the 1900s, thanks to beet sugar, the average American was consuming 40 pounds of it per year. Hot doodly ding dong. That sounds like a lot's going up. Another time America was obsessed with sugar was Prohibition. Remember that wild time?
No, because we weren't there. But it sounds like it really must have sucked. Because like in the 1920s and the 30s, alcohol became illegal. So people reached for the next best thing. Soda. Soda.
So this is a period of time when companies like Coca-Cola grew overnight, out of control. And this also is when ice cream starts to pop off. This is because as bars closed, soda fountains opened. These places, they give the people a sugar-filled alternative to drinking with ice cream and like cola floats.
Oh, I'm dying for one right now. That sounds so good, right? Like, yeah, they have a lot of sugar in them, but...
Yummy. I mean, those people back then were probably getting a better buzz from those Coke floats than like a glass of wine or whatever, you know? Like they weren't used to this kind of sugar. We're used to it. Well, I am. The only major sugar crash in American history was during World War II in the 1940s. As much as Americans loved their sugar,
it was the first food to be rationed. Each person was allowed eight ounces of white sugar a week. So people were getting like their sugar fixes by using substitutes like corn syrup and molasses. After the war, sugar sales again, kabloom, skyrocketed. But big companies at this time, they had learned that it was way cheaper to use corn syrup than it was sugar.
So they just kept at it. They're like, no one said anything. We're just going to keep doing it. And that's literally why corn syrup is in everything. Corn syrup is in everything. Are you not paying attention? By the 1960s, America's mass consumption of sugar started to like have some serious effect on people's health. There was like all of this data being released showing that there were high rates of heart disease amongst American Americans.
So multiple studies were done to get to the bottom of it. You know, like what is going on? One study showed that sugar was the problem. It was like, if you just like cut out sugar, then you're gonna be all cool, man. Then another study was done and they were like, look, everyone relax, breathe. Sugar is fine. The real problem, saturated fat and cholesterol. Ah!
And look, maybe it's all three, okay? But everyone's pointing the finger, whatever. So there's also like this conspiracy that big sugar manufacturers and popular products that have a lot of sugar funded scientific studies that would show fat is worse for us than sugar. I mean, look, we learned on our Coca-Cola episode in season two,
that in the 60s, a group called the Sugar Research Foundation, they had paid Harvard scientists a lot of money to publish a study that blamed saturated fat for America's heart disease problem. Coincidentally, ain't that funny? Isn't that weird? Weird, they didn't consider sugar?
That's so weird. Even to this day, Coca-Cola has spent millions of dollars to downplay the link between sugary drinks and obesity. There was all this confusion going on on like what was causing heart disease and it led to a war between sugar-free and low fat. And like you still see it going on in grocery stores today, right? It's like, what does it mean you guys? Stop yelling at me.
I don't know. And then it's like things get a little bit more questionable because sugar companies, they started to put out these advertisements encouraging people to eat sugar because it's actually a really good diet. Oh my God. Yeah, you guys, you've had it all wrong. Sugar, good diet. So their argument was if you eat sugar, you get a ton of energy.
They're like, hello. You get energy. And then guess what? You exercise because you have energy. Hello.
Hello, easy, done, simple. You guys just aren't eating sugar right. There's this one ad that features a woman holding a cup full of sugary soda. The text says, it's funny because it's bad. It says, get ready for the fat time of day. The sugar in a soft drink now can save me a lot of calories later. And you're like, yeah.
Okay. It might sound crazy to us, but sadly, like a good amount of people did believe this. And by the next decade in the seventies, the sugar consumption rate of sugar-filled drinks
increased by 135%. Wow. By the 80s, there was data that came out showing the rates of American obesity and diabetes. It had ticked up every time there was an increase in the public's sugar consumption. All of those rates continued to rise through the late 1990s, partially because of all like the diet crisis that were going on, you know? And no, I'm not talking about the crazy diet that tells you to eat more sugar.
even though I would like that diet. They had gotten even craftier than that. As people realized health and lifestyle was more important than getting a sugar buzz, they once again blamed fat. But the problem still ends up being sugar because most of the time when fat is removed, sugar is then added to supplement the taste. So it kind of tastes, you know,
Good, right? Remember when like froyo became a huge thing? It was on every corner. What was that about? Right? I mean, it was getting a little out of hand, but they were like fat free or whatever. So you go and you're like, oh my God, this tastes a little too good. Fat free, you say? So then everyone was eating it and it turns out it was just straight sugar. Whoops. And then we get to modern day.
You know, I actually wanted to do this episode because I had heard an absolutely insane fact that in 2007, there was a study published by four French scientists called Intense Sweetness Surpasses Cocaine Reward. Yeah, that's the name of this study. This study was done in a lab using a bunch of rats as test subjects. And what these scientists were trying to figure out was like just how addictive, if at all,
sugar is. You know, they want to get to the bottom of it. I mean, apparently you can't get people just like hooked on sugar for science, even though I'm available. So scientists had to involve rats. And one study
The scientists deprived rats of any food for 12 hours a day. The other 12 hours, the rats were given access to a mixture of sugar and water. This is my mixture, sugar and water for the rats, 12 hours. After just one month,
These rats were straight addicted to the sugar water. They would literally like binge on it whenever they were given the sweet, sweet chance. And on the other side, when the sugar solution was taken away, the rats, they were experiencing pain.
pretty much withdrawals. We would call them withdrawals. When they didn't have the sugar, these lab rats experienced severe anxiety, depression, and they had like massive cravings for it. The rats literally became sugar addicts. It's like, uh-oh. It's kind of concerning, I think. Is this why like so many of us have anxiety and depression? Because like sugar isn't everything and like corn syrup? Whoa. I guess if...
This is true. We'd have to like give up sugar, right? We have to give it up and see how our body responds without sugar. I would really like to know, but I don't think I could. Hey, you do it and let me know how it goes. Thanks. I know you got my back and then I'll do it after you tell me the good news, but only if it's good.
Okay, great. This is what really got me. In that same study, the scientists offered rats an option between like two little special cocktails. Cute. Just for the rats. One was essentially sweetened sugar water and then the other was water laced with cocaine. I know, fun. How did we get here? I don't know. These rats are ready to
Anyway, between these two drinks, the sugar water and the cocaine water, 94% of the rats overwhelmingly chose the sugar water. The scientists, they even upped the levels of cocaine to see if like that would make any difference at all for the rats. But still, sugar water was the clear winner. Okay, well that's not good, right everyone?
How long have they known? Once the study was done, this led the scientists to the conclusion that not only is sugar proven to be addictive, it's arguably more addictive than cocaine and harder to kick. And we're just scratching the surface here with this study. There have been hundreds of studies that show sugar's addictive effects.
I mean, we are not rats, not that I know of, but our brains do a similar thing. Like our brains are literally hardwired to reward sugar consumption. This is true because for most of human history, getting enough food or food at all was the main daily goal. And when sugar is consumed, something called dopamine gets released into our body. I'm sure you've heard of this, right?
Well, it happens. And dopamine is the shit! It's a chemical in your brain that literally just makes you feel good. Beautiful. You're like, "Oh my god, life is great! I love everything! Yay! Chicken nuggets!" So when we do get those calories, especially the sweet ones, the brain rewards us by giving us some dopamine. Mmm.
All that's to say, sugar is the drug that nobody is even really thinking about, huh?
It almost seems like it was designed to be addictive, but it seems like we're not really thinking about it, right? Yeah. I mean, this is a little bit of a side note, but the National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism studied the link between sugar and alcoholism. And apparently, like, there's a connection between sugar and alcohol addiction. When someone abuses alcohol,
Dopamine is also released into the body, just like when someone eats sugar. Now, scientists think that this can mean a person who overconsumes sweets may also struggle. I'm not laughing because this is funny. I'm laughing because they might struggle with their alcohol consumption. It's just like, why has it got to call me out like this? I love sweets. It's just my future. God.
Dammit. Anyways, these studies have shown that this link can be passed on genetically. Wow, you hit the lottery, kid. Lucky you. So if a parent is an alcoholic and has a high preference for sugar, both of these addictions can be passed down to their child. I'm with you friends out there. We're gonna do this and we're gonna be okay. Now this obviously stood out to me because I was like, shit.
But also, if a rat can be trained in a month to become addicted to sugar, and then like this addiction can be passed down to your baby child, then won't we all be sugar addicts passing down our addictive genes to the next generation? Is that allowed? Are we concerned? Are we concerned?
This might be like the reality we all soon live in, you know? I don't know. Maybe. Especially since here in America, listen, we are the number one consumer of sugar. Oh my God. In the whole freaking world, I know. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. Don't look at me. It's all of us.
Yes, baby girl Lisa, listen. Shut up, listen. Here in the U.S. of A., we take in a lot of sugar. The American Heart Association recommends people keep their sugar intake to 25 through 36 grams of sugar, which is like six to nine teaspoons per day. It sounds like a lot.
But listen, the average American consumes around 17 teaspoons of added sugar every day. Which if you're like me, you're like, oh, you know, whatever. Teaspoons are small. They're teaspoons. And it's like, whatever, because like I could be doing something way worse. Like cocaine water, you know, get off my back. But then when I read that every year the average American consumes...
over 60 pounds of added sugar. That's like the size of a nine-year-old child made of sugar. And you are eating that child. That nine-year-old child, you ate. That's on you. You ate that baby, okay? So listen.
How do you feel? It's a lot scarier than teaspoons, isn't it? Apparently, about 46% of our total sugar intake is from sugary drinks. We are a drink nation. I mean like soda, Red Bull, oh, oh, Gatorade, oopsie. Your strawberry mocha frappuccino,
I'm not judging, but you know what you're doing. And it's not just like sodas that are responsible. There are like some very sneaky places sugar is hidden. There are weirdly high amounts of sugar in like all of our condiments. All of them. Like spaghetti sauce, flavored water, obviously alcohol, and like bread. Bread?
Not my bread! I thought bread is a carb. The list could go on forever, really. So hey, I know I've dropped a lot on you and I thought it'd be fun to play a game before the break. You ready? Here's our question for you. What company has so much sugar in their bread, legally, it had to be sold as cake? A. Hardee's, B. Subway, or C. Arby's?
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ZocDoc.com slash dark history. Hi, we're back. Are you waiting for the answer to my question? Well, if you guessed B, subway, then you are correct, my friends. Great.
A court in Ireland found that the bread sold at the American sandwich chain, Subway, could not actually be considered bread because of how much sugar it contained. By Irish law, that bread technically had to be advertised as cake. So does this mean we should be ordering at Subway like...
Hi, I'd like a sweet onion chicken teriyaki on the white cake, please. Thank you. Isn't that a fun little fact? Yeah, I'm sure all of the other fast food places are doing the exact same thing, but only Ireland seemed to care and slash or notice.
Good for you, Ireland. Good for you. Looking out for your people and their health. And I know at this point, some of you are like, Bailey, Bailey, shut up. We get it. Like, don't eat sugar, blah, blah, blah. And some of you out there, I don't know how you do it, but you don't even have a sweet tooth. Those people are creepy because how do you not have a sweet tooth?
How do you get satisfaction? Where are the bodies? The family wants to know. Anyways, if you don't have a sweet tooth, I'm really jealous. And I get why the health side of sugar kind of feels like a broken record, right? It's just like, Kathy, put down the Halloween candy and pick up an apple. That's what it's like, right? And sometimes all the sugar talk can feel like,
like white noise a little bit. But something that really shocked me in my sugar studies was finding out that a form of sugar slavery still exists. Yes. Oh yeah. Sugar is so shady. Like when you go to a grocery store in America to pick up some sugar, you're probably going to see the same three brands. Domino in the yellow box, C&H, it's like pink and white,
and Florida Crystals, which is in a green container. And just like Tyson with their damn chicken, most sugar is controlled by one family. I'm talking about a family who has been in the business of sugar for over 150 years. Now they're very quiet.
Okay, they're very quiet power players in the American political scene. And essentially, they're the billionaires that nobody has noticed or you don't hear about. They just like fly under the radar. And they go by the name the Fon Wool family. So this family, they own Domino Sugar, Florida Crystals, C&H Sugar, and Red Path Sugar. So essentially what I'm telling you is if you're buying sugar, it's most likely coming from the Fon Wool family.
So the Fanuel family made their way to Florida after Fidel Castro's Cuban Revolution in 1959. And like at this point, they were already rich and powerful. Back in Cuba, the family was known for owning like huge amounts of real estate, distilleries, as well as sugar mills and sugar refineries. So when they got to Florida, the first thing they did was purchase thousands of acres of land.
a handful of sugar mills in Louisiana and also refineries where like, you know, the workers process the sugar. I mean, this is like the business they knew. So,
It made sense. Because sugar is never going away, the Fanuil family was quite successful to say the least. And by the 80s, they had really made a name for themselves. So at this point, they're like, "Okay, our next goal is to expand." They want to take over the sugar industry as a whole.
Maybe, I don't know. But in 1984, there was like this huge business deal to expand the company overseas in order to increase manufacturing, you know, so they could sell more and pocket more of that money.
And one of the places the Fanul family wanted to expand was in the Dominican Republic. This was for a couple of reasons: the temperature, the fact that the infrastructure and sugar farms there already existed,
thanks to the Portuguese and Spanish colonizers. So the family purchased over 240,000 acres of land and a big sugar mill. They created huge factories, maintained friendly relationships with the local government, and they managed to buy a good relationship with the American government as well. The Fanjul family has had quite...
an odd history of political donations made. Most people vote on their political beliefs, but the Fanul family has donated tens of millions of dollars over the years to both political parties. In a December 2013 Washington Post article, Peter Walston and Tom Hamburger quoted a lobbyist
close to sugar executives who said, quote, "The sugar guys win votes because they are better at politics than anyone else."
End quote. Sugar and the government have been quietly hooking up for years, okay? Actually, they've been doing this out in the open, but there's like so much other crap happening in the world. Or maybe we just don't understand it, so nobody talks about it. But it's a little concerning. According to Professor Guy Rolnick, quote, "'Sugar is the only one of many industries in the United States that receive corporate welfare, subsidies, and support.'"
This means that since they're such a huge mega corporation, they get major tax breaks and even get money flowing in from the government. And look, I mean, there are lots of big corporations that get tax breaks and support from the government.
So it's like, yeah, hello, we've talked about many of them on this very show. But the difference between them and the sugar industry is that so much of that money ultimately ends up in the Fanhuls' billionaire pockets. And this is a huge problem because besides being BFFFFFFF's with the government, the sugar companies that are owned by the Fanhul family have a nasty reputation.
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love so I can make sure my wardrobe stays fresh and I don't blow my budget. They've got cashmere sweaters from $50, pants for every occasion, washable silk tops. And my favorite part, all Quince items are priced 50 to 80% less than similar brands. By partnering directly with top factories, Quince cuts out the cost of the middleman and
and passes the savings on to us. And Quince only works with factories that use safe, ethical, and responsible manufacturing practices and premium fabrics and finishes. I recently got this 100% European linen short sleeve shirt. Ooh, I love linen. And you know, it was so comfortable, so cute. I can finally retire my old ratty tank top.
R.I.P. Make switching seasons a breeze with Quince's high quality closet essentials. Go to quince.com slash dark history for free shipping on your order and 365 day returns. That's quince, Q-U-I-N-C-E dot com slash dark history to get free shipping and 365 day returns. quince.com slash dark history.
This episode is brought to you by Progressive Insurance. Most of you listening right now are probably multitasking. Yep, while you're listening to me talk, you're probably also driving, cleaning, exercising, or maybe even grocery shopping. But if you're not in some kind of moving vehicle, there's something else you could be doing right now. Getting an auto quote from Progressive Insurance.
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Progressive Casualty Insurance Company and affiliates. National average 12-month savings of $744 by new customer survey who saved with Progressive between June 2022 and May 2023. Potential savings will vary. Discounts not available in all states and situations. Child labor. Yeah, of course. In the early 2000s, the Fanuls put together funds and bought one of the biggest sugar companies in America.
It's called Domino Sugar. And they bought them for $200 million. Now, at the time, this was a very bold move because sugar in the United States was actually on the decline. And at this point, there were like artificial sugars on the shelves at stores, like out there in the wild. They had the sugar-free alternatives. And people were really into this, right? Coffee, tea, coffee.
You had it. You loved it. Don't lie. But this really didn't faze the Fan Hu family. I mean, they told the press, quote, you have to be good at it. Sugar is what we know. Sugar is what we do. We've been in sugar. Take a shot every time they say sugar. We've been in sugar for 150 years. Our goal is to be the best. At the end of the day, we will make money. End quote. All right. You know, cool. Wow, that was so motivational. Thanks.
And the way they make their money is off of the backs of humans that are treated like
Like when Domino Sugar was acquired by the family, it had a horrible reputation of poor working conditions and modern day slavery, which happens mostly in the Dominican Republic. Journalist Sandy Tolan and Euclides Noel expose the conditions these workers have to deal with day in and day out. These workers do the backbreaking work of like cutting and breaking down the sugar cane by hand
and many live with their families on these sugar plantations in small work camps called batayas. These batayas usually don't have electricity,
They don't have running water or even enough space for the amount of people crammed into these small things, these small rooms. Even though the company that owned the sugar plantation made at least $1.5 billion worth of revenue every single year. The workers though, oh, LOL. They're lucky if they got paid $4 a day, which was like leaving most of,
of their families to depend on mobile churches to get food for their whole family and sometimes healthcare. And not only that, there are reports that if workers didn't meet like their expected field workload, they would experience abusive working conditions, forced overtime, and then their bosses could sometimes withhold their paychecks from them. Yeah, asshole.
In the sugar cane fields, like there have been reports of children working right alongside the adults and like even sometimes their own parents. These kids and just everyone are exposed to dangerous equipment, high temperatures, physical injuries from having no protective gear.
gear and exposure to pesticides. Many of these children are undocumented of Haitian origin. And there were reporters who even met kids who had been kidnapped by the Dominican military. And then they were just like dumped on the sugarcane fields to work. To this day, Domino Foods is like the largest sugar company in the United States. And the Dominican government denies
that workers still experience oppression and slavery. But as recently as 2022, there have been reports that say this is still taking place. Domino sugar instead just keeps getting bigger. The fan rules keep getting richer and we are
Keep staying addicted. Look, I didn't expect this from our sugar episode either, okay? But here we are. I'm getting really hung up on everything, actually. Of course, like, the lab rats. They chose the sugar water over the cocaine. But if sugar is so addictive and it makes us depressed and anxious, and there's been studies to prove it, then why isn't it being seriously regulated?
I know that sounds bad and like kind of like boo Bailey don't have them regulate something else. But like I don't think this one's doing us any good huh? Look bottom line companies should not be allowed to dump so much added sugar into our food.
like they should keep us informed, right? Eating an Almond Joy, I know I'm eating an Almond Joy. I'm eating sugar. And I hope you know that too. Like you get it, right? But you shouldn't be worried about your sugar intake when you're eating bread. Adding a splishy splash of ketchup. So much sugar. It's just embarrassing that our country's bread is considered cake in Europe.
Don't look. At the end of the day, I don't want to be just another lab rat, sipping that sugar water and feeling all anxious and depressed. I want to be a raccoon, living free, eating whatever I decide I want to eat, and whoever's garbage I want to eat out of. Be a raccoon, be free, I don't know.
How do you end the sugar episode? Just be aware of your sugar intake this year. Don't get sad. Go for a walk, take a lap, do this. It probably will help with something. I don't know, but I know all of the sugar's coming your way. Good luck out there, all right? Thanks for listening. Remember, don't be afraid to ask questions to get the whole story because
You deserve that. Also, join me over on my YouTube where you can watch these episodes on Thursday after the podcast airs. And while you're there, you can also catch my murder, mystery, and makeup. I love to hear your guys' reactions to today's story, so make sure to use the hashtag darkhistory over on social media so I can follow along and see what you're saying.
The stripped down truth left a comment on our Lisa Frank episode from season two saying, quote, fun fact, Spencer's gifts on Spirit Halloween and also Bailey. Now it's definitely the time to treat your inner child. Oh, shut up. No way. I didn't know this. Spencer's. I haven't seen one lava lamp in Spirit Halloween. Remember those glow in the in the dark posters?
It's not making sense. Anyways, I mean, Superior Halloween doesn't sell pink furry handcuffs like Spencer's does, so...
Okay, but good for Spencer's because they weren't doing well. Law abiding citizen says quote, Thank you, Bailey. My son has been listening to you since he was six weeks old, and your voice calms him. Oh, that's so cute. He's gonna be so smart. Oh my god. The only way to prove that your child truly loves me though is to know do not name your child Bailey. Bailey's our psycho. Your child's gonna be so smart.
And also thank you for your kind words. That's so cute. IndieGo left an episode suggestion. Ooh, love a suggest. Bailey, please do a dark history on Jameson whiskey and Jameson's love for cannibalism. What, what, what, what, what? I am dying. I am dying. Wait a minute. I am dead. I've never heard of this before. What is this?
Okay, listen, I'm gonna go home. I'm gonna do some Googling and goggling and I'm gonna see what I come across and then I'll let you know. But I'm very, you know me, you got me, cannibalism. I'll circle back.
Anyways, you guys, just in case you didn't know, Dark History is an Audioboom original. This podcast is executive produced by Bailey Sarian High, Junia McNeely from 3Arts, Kevin Grush, and Matt Enloe from Maiden Network. A big thank you to our writers, Joey Scavuzzo, Katie Burris, Allison Filobos, and me, Bailey Sarian.
And don't forget to make some good choices this week. And I'll be talking to you later. Goodbye.
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I'm Stanzi Potenza. And I'm Brad Padre. Launching June 13th is our new podcast, Late to the Party. In this post-ironic chat show, we'll show you a window into our world of crazy post-ironic thoughts. An unlikely friendship founded on a shared love for riffs, ranting, and getting absolutely wrecked.
Consider this an invitation to our inside jokes. You're late to the party, but no one cool ever shows up on time. Follow Late to the Party on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to this kind of stuff.