Sugar has absolutely no chill

The Science Behind SWEET

Sweetness without consequences. Science without the BS.

We don’t do: “trust us.” We do peer-reviewed science, explained like a human who drinks coffee and reads labels.

Hot take:
Sugar isn’t “just a treat.” It’s a situationship you never consented to.

And like most bad situationships, it turns out there was lying, manipulation, and money changing hands.

The Lie

In the 1960s, internal documents revealed that the sugar industry secretly paid Harvard scientists to downplay sugar’s role in heart disease and shift the blame to fat.

The research was published in top medical journals. The funding was not disclosed. The narrative stuck for decades.

Later investigations showed the sugar industry continued to  influence nutrition science, public policy, and dietary guidelines delaying meaningful action while sugar quietly moved into everything.

So if you grew up thinking fat was the villain and sugar was “fine in moderation,” that wasn’t an accident.

That was marketing.

Sugar doesn’t gently sweeten food. It hits your brain like it’s trying to get you back at 2 a.m.

The Truth

In a landmark study published in PLOS ONE, researchers found that rats consistently chose intense sweetness over cocaine even when already addicted to the drug.

Follow-up research confirmed that sugar triggers craving, bingeing, tolerance, withdrawal, and relapse-like behavior.

And the foods most likely to keep you hooked? Highly processed, high-glycemic foods .

This isn’t a willpower issue. It’s biology getting catfished.


Let’s talk exposure.

The average American consumes nearly 100 pounds of added sugar per year . That’s about a teaspoon every hour.

Including while you sleep. 
Which feels unnecessary...

Even worse? 74% of packaged foods contain added sugar .

If sugar were optional, it wouldn’t be in salad dressing.

Sugar also ages you. Aggressively.

High sugar intake causes glycation AKA sugar binding to collagen and elastin, the proteins responsible for keeping your face from sliding south 🫠

Studies link sugar-heavy diets to acne, wrinkles, premature aging, and shortened cellular lifespan:

Translation: sugar messes with your health AND beauty. 

Your brain notices too. 

High-sugar diets are associated with impaired learning, memory issues, and mood swings because sugar lowers BDNF , a protein critical for learning, memory, and emotional regulation.

Meta-analyses confirm sugar is more likely to increase fatigue than focus .

Spikes feel exciting. Stability feels better.

Mental health didn’t dodge this either.

High sugar intake is linked to depression, anxiety, and ADHD symptoms:

This isn’t a mindset problem. It’s chemistry.

Zooming out
Consequences

Chronic sugar intake is associated with insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes, obesity, and cardiovascular disease.

Large prospective studies show sugar-sweetened beverages  independently increase diabetes risk even when calories are controlled.

Higher added sugar intake is also linked to increased risk of death from heart disease.

Sugar has no chill. It sends invoices.

The bill?  Over $1.4 trillion per year .

Cheap sweetness. Premium consequences.

Learn why replacing added sugar works

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