Nothing beats a sweet piece of candy, but for health-conscious people, candy does not have to contain sugar to be sweet. strongest dab rigs

Sugar-free candy is actually very sweet and just as enjoyable as its sugar-packed counterparts. Your taste buds won’t notice the difference and your body may actually thank you.

When you see how much sugar regular candy contains, you will probably want to consider a healthier alternative.

Commercial candies containing sugar are divided into three groups, based on the amount of sugar they contain. Hard candies and creams are almost 100 percent sugar. Marshmallows or nougats are 95 percent sugar. And fudges and caramels follow, being made of 75 percent to 95 percent sugar.

As a practical example, Starburst Fruit Chews, which contains 10 pieces of candy, has as much sugar as nine sugar cubes. It has 34 grams of sugar and 240 calories, 188 of which come from sugar. And a 2.6-ounce bag of Skittles has a whopping 47 grams of sugar and 250 calories, 188 from sugar.

Chocolate candy bars have slightly less sugar than hard candy, but just as many calories. A regular-sized Snickers bar has 30 grams of sugar and a calorie count of 280, 120 of which come from sugar. Reeses Peanut Butter Cups have less sugar than most chocolate bars, but if you eat two of them, you are still consuming 20 grams of sugar and 230 calories, 80 of which come from sugar.

Some people have genuine health concerns that dictate they avoid sugar. Some people are trying to cut their caloric intake and sugary candy is one of the first products to get cut off the list. Still other people are simply aware of sugar’s dangers and opt for that diet wherever possible.

Because of the candy, it has a high glycemic index. This means that it causes a rapid rise in your blood sugar level after you eat it. This can be a real danger for people with diabetes, a disease characterized by high blood sugar. The cause is either that a diabetic’s body doesn’t produce enough insulin or the body doesn’t respond to the insulin that is produced.

Some parents opt for sugar-free candy because they don’t think their children need excess sugar in their diets or desserts – especially if the child is already somewhat hyperactive. If you’ve heard the term “sugar high,” then you know that all the sugar in some candy can give you unnatural energy – a high that quickly drops to a lethargic low once the sugar rush has worn off. Imagine that scenario playing out in a young child, and you’ll quickly reason that sugar-free candy can be a better alternative for children.

Some people avoid sugar in their candy because of the role it plays in tooth decay. Sugar feeds several types of bacteria found in the mouth – especially Streptococcus mutans. As this bacterium metabolizes sugar, it forms acids in the mouth that can destroy the enamel on teeth and lead to cavities.

Sugar-free candy is naturally sweetened by Maltitol or hydrogenated starch hydrolysate – not refined sugar. Maltitol is a sugar alcohol that has 75 percent to 90 percent of the sweetness of table sugar. It is nearly chemically identical to sweet, but has fewer calories, does not promote tooth decay and has a much lighter effect on your body’s blood glucose levels. Hydrogenated starch hydrosylate is a combination of several sugar alcohols that provide from 40 percent to 90 percent of the sweetness of sugar. It is not easily fermented by the bacteria in your mouth, reducing the risk of tooth decay. It also is absorbed more slowly by the digestive tract, reducing its glycemic potential.

If you worry that your candy choices will be limited if you go that route, rest assured that there are sweet-free alternatives to most types. Especially popular are sweet-free Gummy Bears. You can indulge in these sweet, fruity treats and get no processed sugar. The little bears will give you lots of long-lasting flavor, with none of the sugar used to produce the other Gummy candies. And they are the same sweet flavors you’ve come to love with Gummy candy.

Two other options are chocolate-covered peanuts and chocolate-covered raisins. Believe it or not, but you won’t even miss the processed sugar in these creamy, sugar-free milk chocolate coatings. If you share them with friends, they will never guess that they aren’t the same sweet treat they enjoy at the movies. Just put some in a zip-locked bag and enjoy a sugarless treat at the movies or on the go.

With what today’s confectioners know about sugar alternatives and using them to produce candy, there is no reason not to embrace a sugar-free lifestyle. Your body will thank you.