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There are several myths behind the reasons we crave sugar. Some even believe it to be evolutionary, since getting a hold of highly sweet foods from nature was a challenge for our ancestors. But is America addicted to sugar? Sugar is refined crystalline carbohydrates (sucrose, lactose, and fructose) extracted from cane or beet. The sugar refinery process can be traced back to 6th century B.C.E Western Europe. But its process made it expensive and inaccessible, so it didn't become popular until Columbus brought cane to the Caribbean, where it was discovered that tropical climate was ideal for its growth. The ability to grow lots of cane then gradually led to the establishment of plantations throughout the Caribbean, and to the increased popularity of sugar. Before the introduction of refined sugar the most common sweetener was honey, which is known as a nutritive sweetener because it contains traces of vitamins, minerals, and anti oxidants such as riboflavin, niacin, thi