Toxically sweet
Traditional holiday candy
is full of refined sugar and
other unhealthful products,
which dieticians warn to avoid
Aaron Shakra
Pulse Reporter
The hues of red, white and pink
are prolific each Feb. 14, but for
Valentine’s Day candy, the common
colors are FD&C Red 3 and 40, Yel
low 5 and 6, and Blue 1.
If love isn’t toxic, the candy
might have that potential. It’s no se
cret that the most prevalent ingre
dient in Valentine’s Day fare is re
fined sugar.
The “red hot” tip-top of the
food pyramid in the textbook
“Human Biology” lists items of
which humans should restrict
their intake. These include
butter, cream, margarine,
syrups, table sugar, candies
and other sweet desserts.
“It’s refined sugar. There
are no nutrients. The calo
ries come in the form of
sugar,” said dietitian Jessie
Campbell, who runs Let
tuce Eat Nutrition, a home
based business. “After that
initial surge of energy, it just
drops off.”
Naturopathic physician Daniel
Hardot says sugar is “the single
most addictive substance in our so
ciety.” He said consuming too much
could be costly.
“Refined sugar is an irritant to
the nervous system,” he said.
“You’re going to lose mental acu
ity. You’re going to lose mental
functioning.”
In his book “Sugar Blues,”
William Dufty covers the sub
"Vices don't kill us;
habits kill us."
Daniel Hardot
naturopathic physician
stance’s health hazards in detail. He
writes: “Refined sugar is lethal
when ingested by humans because
it provides only that which nutri
tionists describe as “empty” or
“naked” calories. ... In addition,
sugar is worse than nothing because
it drains and leaches the body of
precious vitamins and minerals
through the demand its digestion,
detoxification and elimination
make upon one’s entire system.”
The ingredients in the Euphoria
Chocolate Company’s “Chocolate
Mingle” are as follows: Whole milk
solids, cocoa butter, chocolate
liquor, lecithin (an emulsifier),
and vanilla. While this is one of
the considerably “healthier” can
dies, refined sugar prevails in the
chocolate products.
According to Eric Armstrong’s
“Partially Hydrogenated Oils”
Web site at
http ://www. treelight. com/health/Par
cally changed to improve its thick
ening properties. It can come from
a variety of sources — corn, wheat
or potato, for example. Necco
Sweethearts, a long-time Valen
tine’s Day staple, might list the
starch on the box, but it takes
some research to find out the in
gredient’s actual origins.
...
Photo illustration Emerald
tiallyHydrogenatedOils.html, “con
suming partially hydrogenated oils
is like inhaling cigarette smoke.
They will kill you — slowly, over
time, but as surely as you breathe.
And in the meantime, they will
make you fat!”
Armstrong’s Web site contains in
depth writings pertaining to the
health problems associated with hy
drogenated oil. The oils are found in
more products than just candy. The
culprit can be found in common su
permarket items as well — potato
chips, peanut butter, ice cream and
nutrition bars.
A single Russell Stover “Peanut
Butter Heart” lists four different
forms of hydrogenated oil in its
ingredients.
Another standard ingredient in
many Valentine’s treats, modified
food starch, is physically or chemi
In spite of this potentially dread
ful information, if candy consump
tion is limited, experts say the over
all ill effects can be avoided.
“Valentine’s Day candy once a
year is probably fine,” biology pro
fessor Vincent Lombardi said. “I
don’t think a little bit is going to
kill you, especially if you brush
your teeth.”
Hardot agreed.
“Vices don’t kill us; habits kill
us,” he said.
However, Campbell indicated
Valentine’s Day gorging should in
deed be limited to one day a year.
“You don’t want to have to eat it
all the time,” she said. “If someone
says, ‘I have to have it,’ just portion
it out. Just watch out for those after
(holiday) sales.”
Contact the Pulse reporter
at aaronshakra@dailyemerald.com.
Romance is better
without wotty.
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Parenthood
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