From potatoes fueling Europe's rise to sugar's global impact on slavery and health, discover how key foods rewired economies and built empires. Drawing from Mark Kurlansky's works, Kevin Hall's groundbreaking research, and insights from the Huberman Lab, this episode reveals the invisible food systems that shaped our world.

How did certain foods like salt and sugar shape human civilization and history?








샌프란시스코에서 컬럼비아 대학교 동문들이 만들었습니다
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샌프란시스코에서 컬럼비아 대학교 동문들이 만들었습니다

Nia: Welcome to the BeFreed Podcast, where we distill the world's best sources-books, talks, and research-into personalized insights you can actually finish. I'm Nia.
Jackson: And I'm Jackson. Today, we're diving into a fascinating topic: The Food that Changed the World. But here's the twist-it's not just one food that reshaped humanity. It's a handful of ingredients and technologies that repeatedly rewired economies, built empires, and continue to shape our bodies and planet today.
Nia: I'm so excited about this! When I first heard the title, I was thinking, "Is it going to be wheat? Rice? Maybe coffee?" But it's really about these pivotal food moments throughout history that created ripple effects we're still experiencing.
Jackson: Exactly! We'll be connecting dots across amazing sources-from Mark Kurlansky's deep dives into Salt and Cod to Michael Pollan's work, cutting-edge research from journals like Cell Metabolism, and insights from thought leaders on podcasts like Huberman Lab.