Inspired by by Gary Taubes and Cristin Kearns Couzens recent article “Big Sugar’s Sweet Little Lies” I pulled out my copy of the official 1980 USDA dietary guidelines for Americans pamphlet, to review.

Fascinating and even surprising some of the word choices used throughout this document, but here are two of my personal favorites under the sugar section page fifteen, paragraph three:

“Contrary to widespread opinion, too much sugar in your diet does not seem to cause diabetes.”

“There is also no convincing evidence that sugar causes heart attacks or blood vessel diseases.”

Were these statements based on scientific evidence of that time or rather the influence of big sugar industry, lobbyists and politicians determined to suppress language implying that sugar was somehow toxic or unhealthy? You be the judge.