How Much Candy Is Too Much? – (Is It Dangerous?)

Most of us like sweets, but not everyone thinks about how much candy is too much? Is there a safe amount of sweets to eat, and how much is it? What are the symptoms of too much sugar in the body and what excess sugar can lead to?

How much candy is too much? The safe amount for an adult per day is 90g and for children only 20g. We must remember that sweets are mainly sugar, which in exc

ess leads to weight gain and health problems.

Sweets are empty calories

Sweets in small quantities from time to time are not harmful, but our body tends to get used to the sweet taste. After a while, sweets become an addiction in the same way as smoking or alcohol, and anything in excess leads to negative consequences. Why is it said that sweets are empty calories?

Sweets consist mainly of monosaccharides which, when broken down, raise blood glucose levels. Unlike complex carbohydrates, simple ones are burned quickly and therefore do not satisfy the appetite, so we feel hunger shortly after eating them.

Sweets for children?

The amount of sugar we can eat per day depends on our age and health. As we know, children like sweets very much and it is common that if we want to buy something nice for a child as a present, sweets are very popular. However, how much is a safe amount for them?

It is difficult to prevent children from eating sweets, but it is possible to limit it to a safe amount. For example, you can set a day on which the child can eat something sweet, and this method is becoming increasingly popular.

Sweets are not a complete meal, so they cannot be used as a substitute for lunch or another meal. Keep an eye on your child’s diet and sometimes replace sweets with healthier alternatives such as dried fruit or nuts.

How Much Candy Is Too Much?
How Much Candy Is Too Much?

Unhealthy sweets

We already know how much candy is too much, both for children and adults, but unfortunately, in addition to sugar, they also contain various coloring, preservatives,

and unhealthy additives. Here is a list of some products whose composition is the worst for our bodies in this respect:

  • Various types of chocolate, unfortunately apart from dark chocolate (at least 75% cocoa) all others with different fillings and additives are not re
    commended. Apart from cocoa, which is healthy and has positive effects on our body, the rest contain harmful and worthless additives.
  • For example, in challah, sesame is the main ingredient (more than 50%) and the sweet taste is provided by the addition of sugar or glucose, or fructose syrup. Depending on the flavor, challah also contains cocoa, vanilla, nuts, and sultanas, we may also find hydrogenated vegetable fat or soapwort root.
  • Sesame seeds are composed of sesame seeds, sugar, and glucose, hence their specific sweet taste. Sesame itself is rich in fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E, K, and vitamin B, magnesium, potassium, calcium, iron, zinc, and phosphorus. The lecithin it contains improves brain function, so sesame itself is healthier than other additives
  • Ice cream, depending on how it is made, can be more or less calorific. The traditional ones, made with milk, are a source of protein, calcium, and B vitamins. Yogurt ice cream is lower in calories, while sorbets have the fewest calories. Unfortunately, all of them contain sugar, so it’s best to eat them from time to time for the sake of our health.
  • Fizzy drinks contain large amounts of sugar and other additives such as flavors, colors, and preservatives. They play an important role in the modern food industry, but in large quantities, they are generally very harmful

Eating lots of sweets, what causes it?

We already know that sweets eaten in moderation and from time to time should not cause health problems. But what if we do not control the amount we eat and do not know if it is too much? An important part of any diet is to watch your body and pay attention to specific situations, these few things should worry us:

  • Weight gain, as sweets are just empty calories they don’t have too many nutritional compounds, the body needs more of them than wholesome food to cover its needs. Sweets taste good, but they do not provide us with adequate energy
  • Fatigue and lack of energy, sugar is easily absorbed and quickly broken down into enzymes, if you feel generally tired and lacking in energy pay att
    ention to your diet, maybe there are too many sweets in it
  • A bad mood, if you feel irritable or nervous, is not always the fault of stress, but also of too much sugar in the body. If we don’t pay attention to this, this condition can get worse and even lead to depression.
  • Sugar cravings can also be addictive like any other stimulant such as alcohol or cigarettes. Sugar acts on our brain’s pleasure center, causing an increase in the so-called ‘happy hormone dopamine.
  • High blood pressure, if you have problems with hypertension look at your diet, you may find that too much sugar is the cause.
    According to scientists, high glucose levels can damage the lining of our blood vessels, making it easier for lipids such as cholesterol to stick to the walls of blood vessels.
  • Joint pain, if you are a young person and have joint pain, this is another reason to check your blood glucose levels. Its excess leads to systemic inflammation, which can lead to what is known as rheumatoid arthritis.
  • Problem sleeping, and blood glucose levels that are too high can lead to a problem sleeping or falling asleep. According to a study by researchers, as sugar intake increases, the quality of sleep decreases.
  • Digestive problems, if you have cramps, abdominal pain, or diarrhea the cause may be due to consuming too many simple sugars. A change of diet is advisable here, try to replace sweets with, for example, dried fruit or nuts
  • Inflammation of the skin, too high a level of glucose in the blood can lead to inflammation in the body, and also to the acceleration of the aging process

It is therefore important to watch your body and take any worrying symptoms into account; how many sweets you eat depends on many factors. If you have a problem with excessive consumption of sweets, you can read about ways to reduce it in this article.

In Summary – How much candy is too much?

The subject of excessive consumption of sweets is a problem that occurs in both children and adults. Each group is adversely affected by an excess of sugars, sometimes it is just our tolerance for the amount in our bodies that differs.

Sugar contains a lot of calories (380 kcal in 100 g!), which increases the level of glucose in the blood, so the body has to increase the production of insulin to lower it.

We already know how much sweets are too much, and what the excess causes. If we are looking for healthier substitutes, we can bet on dried fruit, nuts, almonds, or fruit desserts.

Stacy Reed
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