Chapter 3: Food and Agriculture ○Food Culture in a Monetary Society

 In a monetary society, it is common to buy food from supermarkets and convenience stores. As a result, consuming vegetables, meat, and processed foods that contain pesticides, food additives, and refined sugar has become the norm.

    Food additives include ingredients such as yeast extract, shortening (vegetable oil), gelling agents, flavorings, emulsifiers, pH adjusters, leavening agents, sweeteners, colorings, preservatives, thickeners, stabilizers, antioxidants, and antifoaming agents. These additives are used to make the food look more appetizing, extend its shelf life, and enhance its taste. Their purpose is to attract consumers, drive purchases, and generate profits.

    Refined sugar is quickly absorbed into the bloodstream after a meal, causing a rapid increase in blood sugar levels. Repeated consumption of refined sugar can lead to a decrease in insulin secretion, which is necessary to lower blood sugar levels, and increase the risk of developing diabetes.

    If one were to cultivate pesticide-free vegetables in a nearby garden and consume them immediately after harvesting, it would be the simplest, fastest, and least burdensome way of eating. However, in a monetary society where mass production, long-distance transportation, long-term storage, and consumer acquisition are prioritized, the ingredients deviate from their natural state and become altered with the addition of pesticides, food additives, and sugar. Combined with factors such as stress, overeating, unhealthy dietary habits, lack of exercise, overwork, smoking, and excessive alcohol consumption, this contributes to the prevalence of lifestyle diseases such as obesity, diabetes, hypertension, cancer, and stroke.