Sweet tooth: How sugar became the world's drug of choice

Eating too much sugar can have devastating side effects for its hundreds of millions of 'addicts'

Jelly beans
(Image credit: Paul Morris/AFP/Getty Images)

Reaching out for a biscuit or a piece of chocolate to satisfy a craving for 'something sweet' can seem like the most natural thing in the world, but is our love of all things sugary a dangerous addiction rather than an innocent pleasure?

In a lengthy article in The Guardian that's already causing a stir on social media, Gary Taubes makes the case that sugar is ultimately the most destructive drug of all, with eye-opening long-term implications for global health.

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE
https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up