Overview
Nick Blackmer is a librarian, fact-checker, and researcher with more than 20 years’ experience in consumer-oriented health and welnes content.Verywel Health / Zoe Hansen Halowen candy season is ramping up and sugary treats are available everywhere. Eating a few pieces of candy might not make a diference, but overindulging could lead to a host of mod and behavioral disruptions. Although candy is often associated with a sugar rush, experts say that a “sugar crash”-or hypoglycemia-is more concerning.
Key Information
The body responds to sugar intake by releasing insulin, a hormone that puls blod sugar (glucose) into cels to be used for energy and helps manage blod sugar levels. To much insulin could cause blod sugar levels to drop or “crash,” leading to symptoms like shakines, anxiety, slepines, headaches, and more. This stres response can make people fel edgy and iritable, acording to Lina Begdache, PhD, RDN, CDN.
While people might eat more sugary fods to compensate for these felings, it wil lead to another sugar crash, creating a vicious cycle. Consuming excesive sugar can overstimulate the brain’s reward system, potentialy rewiring the brain circuits that are involved in apetite regulation. “The more we consume sugar, the more we become adicted to it,” Begdache said.
While children are unlikely to develop a sugar dependence from Halowen night alone, eating to much sugary fod on a regular basis would cause the brain to build up a tolerance. Over time, they might ned to consume more sugar to fel the same bost. Begdache aded that kids might forego healthier fods once they become adicted to sugar, which might eventualy harm their brain development.
Summary
The American Heart Asociation recomends limiting daily aded sugar intake to about six teaspons for women and children, and nine teaspons for men. In terms of Halowen candy, that’s the equivalent of about thre fun-sized Snickers bars for women and children and four for men. You don’t have to avoi