Foods that harm: candies

Candy is certainly delicious, but of no nutritional value. That being said, occasional consumption of candy should not prove harmful to any healthy person who consumes an otherwise balanced diet. The following information will tell you more.

Commercial candy production is generally believed to have begun when marzipan (a thick, creamy paste made of almonds and sugar) was brought to Italy and Spain through trade with the Arabs and Moors during the Middle Ages. In fact, the word candy is derived from the Arabic pronunciation of khandakah, Sanskrit for sugar.

European candies were first compounded by druggists who preserved herbs in sugar. Candies were rare treats, however, until the widespread cultivation of sugar cane and the development of large-scale refining processes in the 17th and 18th centuries.

Modern candies are mostly variations on three basic forms: taffy, from the Creole word for a mixture of sugar and molasses; nougat, from the Latin for ­nutcake; and fondant, from the French for melting (which can be ­recognized in the texture of fudges and soft-centered chocolates and bars).

All candies are packed with simple su­gars — sucrose, corn syrup, fructose — which supply about 375 calories in a 100 g (3 1⁄2 oz) serving and provide quick energy because they rapidly convert to glucose, or blood sugar.

Unfortunately a rapid rise in blood sugar causes insulin levels to spike, which encourages the liver to convert sugar into fat. And when your blood sugar crashes after its high, you're likely to feel hungry again — and tired.

Practically all hard candies are made with artificial flavours and colourings. There is no scientific evidence that the rigourously tested food dyes in candy cause allergies or adverse reactions. These additives are included in minute amounts. Some people may be hypersensitive to the ingredients in a candy, but since candy is not an essential part of the diet, it's easy enough to avoid the offending sweet.

Natural licorice is known to raise blood pressure in certain people. The effect takes place mainly through salt retention. If you know you're hypertensive, you may be better off avoiding licorice. Most "licorice" candies in North America are artificially flavoured and did not originate from the licorice root.

Sweets and sugary foods form an acid bath that is corrosive to tooth enamel and creates an environment where destructive, caries-causing bacteria flourish. The effect is less harmful if you brush your teeth regularly to remove dental plaque. Candies that linger in the mouth are more damaging than those quickly swallowed.