You ever look at a tube of toothpaste and wonder why it says it’s “ADA approved” but doesn’t say anything about sugar being the actual cause of cavities? Yeah. Me too. So I fell down a rabbit hole — and turns out the sugar industry had a LOT to do with that.

Back in the 60s and 70s, Big Sugar (literally the Sugar Research Foundation, now called the Sugar Association) started funding studies at places like Harvard to make fat look like the bad guy and sugar look harmless. And when it came to dental health, they took it a step further — pumping money into what they called “Project 269,” which basically paid researchers to steer the entire conversation away from reducing sugar and toward things like fluoride, mouthwash, and toothpaste. Sound familiar?

They didn’t create the ADA or the approval seal — but they played a major role in shaping what the ADA focused on. Instead of talking about sugar as the root cause of tooth decay, the narrative became all about brushing, rinsing, and fluoride. Which is fine… but also kinda convenient for an industry that was trying to keep people hooked on their product.

This shift influenced national dental policies, what got taught in schools, and what products got that shiny ADA approval label. So no, the sugar industry didn’t slap their name on toothpaste — but they absolutely helped shape the system that stopped calling them out.

The wildest part? All of this is documented. Internal memos, academic papers, even government archives show how deep this went.

Anyway. Brush your teeth. But also maybe brush up on who’s funding the research next time you see a “seal of approval.” Just saying.

#frizzzz #everythingyouknowisalie #untoldhistory #sugar #education