Sugar Free Candies – Are They Good for You?

For most people, the first step to losing weight is to eliminate bad foods from their diet. And for many of us, the bad foods are candy (really anything made from sugar, spice, and something nice). That’s why people began turning to sugar free candies; they’re supposed to be a nice healthy alternative to normal sugar candy. Unfortunately, this is not true; sugar free candy is not the healthy alternative we hope for it to be for a few reasons:

Sugar Free Candy And Carbs

Sugar free candy does have fewer carbs and calories than normal candy, but only slightly fewer. That’s because sugar free and carbohydrate free are not the same thing. If the carb content is still high, you will put on weight regardless of the sugar content.

Sugar Alcohols

Sugar alcohols such as, erythritol, maltitol, sorbitol, mannitol, etc. are the secret ingredient in sugar free candies. They typically effect your blood glucose levels than regular sugar which is a good thing. It’s great for reducing your overall carb and caloric intake as sugar alcohols have ¼ the calories than sugar. But sugar alcohols also have some negative side effects, such as, diarrhea, bloating, and gas. If eaten in excess they will result in you putting on weight.

Sugar Free Doesn’t Equal Fat Free

Sugar free candies, especially sugar free chocolates, are also prone to being high in saturated fats. Also, a lot of baked goods that use sugar alcohols as a sweetener tend to have more saturated and trans fats than normal versions.

Control Your Portion Sizes

The biggest risk of eating sugar free candies is it’s easy to over indulge. People tend to tell themselves that it’s ok to eat a lot because they are sugar free, but that’s a great way to put on weight.