Ever since the beginning of the sugar trade, slavery has been a defining characteristic. First originating in India, the sugar trade quickly became a lucrative and successful industry for merchants and sailors. In the early 1500s, the sugar trade expanded with the discovery of the “New World,” also known as the Americas. Large portions of land in the tropical regions of Central and South America were subdued to become sugarcane plantations. At this time, the native inhabitants of the regions, as well as millions of African slaves were forced to labor under harsh conditions to meet the demands of this popular commodity. The sugar industry was not free of slave labor until 1884, the year when the abolition of slavery occurred in the Caribbean
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Scientifically, sugar appears in human diets in two main forms: glucose and fructose. Glucose, the body’s preferred source of energy, is most typically found in starches and grains. When carbohydrates like potatoes or bread are consumed they are transformed into glucose, also known as blood sugar. As carbohydrates are digested, the blood sugar levels rise. Blood sugar levels then trigger insulin to release from the pancreas into the bloodstream, which helps the glucose disperse throughout the body. Once all of the glucose has been delivered to the energy seeking cells, any excess glucose is stored in fat cells or the liver. The other form of sugar, fructose, is a carbohydrate found naturally in the tissues of fruits and vegetables and is also used as a sweetener in food products. Fructose crystals, primarily harvested from the sugar beet and sugarcane, are commonly referred to as “processed” or “added” sugar. Unlike glucose, fructose is not the body’s preferred source of energy. Upon entering a body, fructose can only be digested by the liver and does not trigger insulin to release. As a result, fructose does not function as a normal carbohydrate and transforms into fat at much higher rates than glucose (Ancira, “What is the
Scientifically, sugar appears in human diets in two main forms: glucose and fructose. Glucose, the body’s preferred source of energy, is most typically found in starches and grains. When carbohydrates like potatoes or bread are consumed they are transformed into glucose, also known as blood sugar. As carbohydrates are digested, the blood sugar levels rise. Blood sugar levels then trigger insulin to release from the pancreas into the bloodstream, which helps the glucose disperse throughout the body. Once all of the glucose has been delivered to the energy seeking cells, any excess glucose is stored in fat cells or the liver. The other form of sugar, fructose, is a carbohydrate found naturally in the tissues of fruits and vegetables and is also used as a sweetener in food products. Fructose crystals, primarily harvested from the sugar beet and sugarcane, are commonly referred to as “processed” or “added” sugar. Unlike glucose, fructose is not the body’s preferred source of energy. Upon entering a body, fructose can only be digested by the liver and does not trigger insulin to release. As a result, fructose does not function as a normal carbohydrate and transforms into fat at much higher rates than glucose (Ancira, “What is the