“Lead tastes sweet. In fact, lead (II) acetate [Pb(C2H3O2)2·3H2O] is a compound that has another name: sugar of lead. Sugar of lead has been used as a sweetener throughout history. No honey or sugar? No problem! There is a calorie-free alternative. It’s toxic, but you won’t put on pounds from eating it. If you use enough of it, you might forget to eat altogether. The perfect diet aid.”
Dr. Anne Marie Helmenstine, PhD
Please PLEASE don’t try this.
(I ran across this while doing some research on using a lead acetate + alum solution for waterproofing canvas. Completely unrelated, I just thought it was too amusing to not share.)
Lead was used as a sweetner in ancient Rome,they called it suppa. Lead shot was often added to a bottle of wine to improve the flavour. It helped women achieve the deathly pale face that was so fashionable at the time.