Explain It to Me Sugar crash
Mar 15, 2026
Maya Feller, a Brooklyn registered dietitian offering practical sugar-cutting tips; Dr. Kimber Stanhope, a UC Davis metabolism researcher explaining sugar biochemistry; David Singerman, a historian on sugar’s role in empire and industry. They trace sugar’s history and political power. They unpack types of sugars and how the body handles fructose. They share realistic strategies for managing cravings and reworking taste.
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How Sugar Fueled Empire And Slavery
- Sugar became mass-consumed as prices fell, driving European colonial expansion and plantation slavery across the Caribbean and Brazil.
- David Singerman notes 75–80% of enslaved Africans in the New World were brought to work on sugar, making it a central driver of empire and wealth.
Sugar Tariffs Hooked Governments Too
- In late 19th century America sugar tariffs became a major federal revenue source as imports and consumption surged.
- Singerman explains governments got "addicted" to tariff income while the refining industry concentrated political power in northern cities.
Sugar Industry Shaped Science Like Big Tobacco
- The sugar industry used PR and paid scientists to deflect blame from sugar onto fat and cholesterol in the 1960s and 70s.
- UCSF researchers uncovered industry-funded work, mirroring tobacco-era tactics to shape scientific debate.