Reality check: Are kids eating slow poison in form of Candy

Introduction

Are you thinking that candy is just a food and its fine to have it for us? If yes, you are at right article. We mostly worry that it will spoil teeth. About about our health over all. Teeth health is just one aspect of health. Other aspect is our organ health(liver/heart and many more), physical strength and mental health,

CSPI recommendation

CSPI (https://cspinet.org/eating-healthy/chemical-cuisine) have below recommendation

Deciding what foods to buy was simpler when most food came from farms. Now, factory-made foods have made chemical additives a significant part of our diet.

In general, it's best to avoid the following ingredients.

• • Artificial sweeteners: Aspartame, Acesulfame K, Saccharin, Sucralose

  • Food dyes

  • Mycoprotein (Quorn-brand meat substitutes)

  • Partially hydrogenated oils (trans fat)

And don't forget to cut back on sugar and salt, which cause more harm than all the other additives combined.

Analyse Candy composition

Saturated Fat

Saturated fat plays a major role in the development of high cholesterol, says Medline Plus. High cholesterol can lead to high blood pressure, heart disease and stroke.

One typical candy bar can contain 11 or more grams of saturated fat.

Sugars

Too much sugar of any type in your diet can lead to dental cavities, weight gain and overall poor nutrition,especially if the sugary foods are taking the place of foods containing nutrients and vitamins.

Calories

Depending on the type of candy, one serving may contain a large number of calories. According to "Fitness" Magazine, some popular brands of candy contain between 250 and 280 calories per serving.

Artificial Colors

Fruit Loops(Candy) that are colored by artificial food dyes – some salad dressings, vitamins, pickles and even white frosting contain them too, says Lisa Lefferts, a senior scientist who focuses on food additives at CSPI, the consumer advocacy organization. Makeup, contact lenses and cough syrup can also be tinted with the dyes, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, which regulates color additives. "Places where you'd never expect to find them, you can find them," Lefferts says.

Is that so bad? According to Lefferts, yes. She points to studies compiled in her organization's recent report – called "Seeing Red" – suggesting that behavioral problems may be reduced when certain food dyes are removed from some children's diets. Just this week, CSPI submitted a letter – including more than 2,000 complaints from parents – urging the FDA to require warning labels on foods that contain synthetic dyes.

'We Eat With Our Eyes'

While food dyes don't have any nutritional value, they do have some value, says Dubost, noting that natural alternatives such as fruit extracts can be costly and inconsistent for food manufacturers. "We eat with our eyes, and color is an important part of that perception that the food will be good,"

Reference

http://www.livestrong.com/article/509860-why-is-candy-bad-for-your-health/

http://health.usnews.com/wellness/articles/2016-03-17/should-you-be-worried-about-food-dyes

https://cspinet.org/eating-healthy/chemical-cuisine

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Center_for_Science_in_the_Public_Interest