The Bittersweet Truth For millennia, humanity's craving for sweetness was primarily satisfied through the consumption of fruit or, on rare occasions, honey from wild bees. However, approximately 2,500 years ago, humans discovered a new method of producing sugar by extracting and drying the sap of sugar cane. *John Yudkin (1972). Pure, White and Deadly. Penguin Group.* The process of producing and refining sugar was labor-intensive and complex, which made it an exceptionally costly commodity. As a result, only the wealthy could afford it, and even then, only in limited quantities. By the 1850s, global sugar production had reached approximately 1.5 million tonnes per year, thanks to advancements in extraction and refinement techniques that gradually reduced its price. As sugar became more accessible and affordable, its consumption began to rise significantly. Rose: edible flower to mind-boggling levels within just a few decades. John Yudkin (1972). Pure, White and Deadly. Pen...