The Truth About Candy
Few products as candy bring so much joy yet are clouded in so much mystery and myth.
While candy is often a “special treat”, it, like anything used n moderation, can be enjoyed on a daily basis providing it is part of a well balanced nutritious diet.
Below is an informative list compiled by the National Confectioners Association and Chocolate Manufacturers Association (NCA/CMA) and other resources that will hopefully shed light on many candy related misconceptions.
MYTH: CANDY IS RESPONSIBLE FOR TOOTH DECAY
TRUTH: This is perhaps the most widely held misconception about candy.
Any food containing fermentable carbohydrates, such as starches or sugars, can contribute to tooth decay. It all depends on how often we eat and drink these foods and how long they remain in our mouths. Good dental hygiene and regular fluoride treatments are the best ways to prevent cavities.
MYTH: CANDY IS A LEADING CAUSE OF HYPERACTIVITY IN CHILDREN
TRUTH: Yet another widely accepted candy misconceptions and, to the contrary, Sugar DOES NOT cause hyperactivity in children.
Recent studies conducted at Vanderbilt University and the University Of Iowa College Of Medicine found no evidence that sugar has an adverse effect on children's behavior. As with anything, candy and sugar should be enjoyed in moderation.
MYTH: THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS HEALTHY CANDY
TRUTH: Many treats, such as lollipops, candy canes and gummi items, do not contain fat or cholesterol, making them a healthier treat than many people realize.
Gum drops, a majority of licorice items and many hard candies are fat free and have minimal or no cholesterol and many of these candies are low in calories.
A cup of candy corn, for example, has fewer calories than a cup of raisins thus making it, in moderation, a healthy snack.
MYTH: CHOCOLATE IS NOT ONE OF THE FOUR (4) MAJOR FOOD GROUPS
TRUTH: Chocolate is derived from cacao beans and beans are classified as a vegetable. Sugar is derived from either sugar cane or sugar beets and as both are classified as plants and, as such, this would place them in the vegetable family.
MYTH: MOST CANDIES ARE HIGH CALORIC
TRUTH: On the contrary, one (1) butterscotch disc has only 20 calories. Eight (8) gum drops or eight (8) jelly beans (the equivalent of one ounce) contain 115 calories. Most of these candies favorites are fat and cholesterol free, making them a healthier treat than many people realize.
MYTH: CHOCOLATE CONSUMPTION LEADS TO ACNE
TRUTH: It is a common misconception that chocolate aggravates acne.
Clinical experiments conducted at the University of Pennsylvania and the U.S. Naval Academy found that moderate consumption of chocolate had no effect on the incidence of acne.
MYTH: CANDY CONTRIBUTES TO A LARGE PERCENTAGE OF THE FAT & SUGAR IN THE AMERICAN DIET
TRUTH: In fact, less than two percent of the fat and ten percent of the sugar in our diets are supplied by candy. Most of the fat actually comes from the high-fat animal products we eat. The main sources of sugar in America's diets are sugary beverages, baked goods and frozen desserts.
MYTH: FOODS HIGH IN SATURATED FATS RAISE CHOLESTROL LEVELS
TRUTH: Contrary to popular belief, not all types of saturated fats raise blood cholesterol levels. Stearic acid, the primary saturated fatty acid found in chocolate, has been shown to have a neutral effect on blood cholesterol levels.
Further, the form of fat found in chocolate, cocoa butter, does not raise blood cholesterol levels even though it is saturated. As cocoa butter is a plant derivative, it is considerably healthier that other type of saturated fats which are derived from animals.
MYTH: EATING TOO MUCH CHOCOLATE WILL MAKE YOU LETHARGIC
TRUTH: While chocolate has been shown not to be a cause of hyperactivity in children, it has long been heralded as a valuable energy source.
To put this into perspective, a single chocolate chip provides sufficient food energy for an adult to walk one hundred and fifty (150) feet; hence, it would take about thirty five (35) chocolate chips to go a mile, or eight hundred and seventy five thousand (875,000) to gather enough energy for a journey around the world.
Citing history, it has been recorded that the French ruler Napoleon brought chocolate on military campaigns as he viewed it as both a luxury item and a source of quick energy.
MYTH: CHOCOLATE IS ADDICTIVE
TRUTH: Although it's true that many people love the taste of chocolate and it is surely fun to eat, chocolate is no more addictive than any other food. An addiction is a serious medical condition with specific physical and psychological symptoms. However, the desire for sweet tasting food is a strong biological drive, and it can be satisfied by eating any naturally sweet food or product made with sugar.
MYTH: MOST PEOPLE ARE ALERGIC TO CHOCOLATE.
TRUTH: A recent study dispelled this myth by showed that only one out of five hundred (500) people who thought they were allergic to chocolate actually tested positive.
MYTH: CHOCOLATE CAN BE LETHAL
TRUTH: There is truth to this, however, it only applies to dogs.
Theo bromine, an ingredient that stimulates the cardiac muscle and the central nervous system, causes chocolate's toxicity in canines. About two (2) ounces of milk chocolate can be poisonous for a ten (10) pound puppy.
As for humans, anything can be lethal if consumed in excessive quantities but the ingredients in chocolate pose no health risk if consumed in moderation.
MYTH: AN OUNCE OF MILK CHOCOLATE CONTAINS ABOUT AS MUCH CAFFEINE AS A CUP OF COFFEE
TRUTH: Actually, a one-ounce piece of milk chocolate contains about the same amount of caffeine as a cup of decaffeinated coffee. There is an average of 6 mg. of caffeine in both an ounce of milk chocolate and a cup of decaf, while a cup of regular coffee contains between 150 and 655 mg. of caffeine.
White chocolate has the highest levels of sugar and fat and contains no caffeine.
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