Disclaimer: This article was written for fun only. It is not intended to serve as medical advice of any kind.
For many children around the world, Halloween has become a much-anticipated, fun-filled celebration of dress up and treats of every kind. We’re getting into the spirit and decided to join in on the Halloween fun by digging into some of the more interesting candy-related information available online. Here are a few of our favorites:
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Dark chocolate is a good source of antioxidant power.
Dark chocolate is a powerful antioxidant, an inflammation buster for the body. That’s because dark chocolate contains flavonols, which decrease blood pressure and improve blood circulation. Dark chocolate has also been shown to boost brain function (sign me up for anything that makes me smarter!).
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Can sour candy help combat anxiety?
Close to 400 million people around the world have a diagnosed anxiety disorder. A 2017 study found that distraction strategies can significantly help. Distraction in this case simply means shifting your attention away from one thing to focus on another—something that taps into one of your five senses, like taste. Eating sour candy, for example, shifts the brain's attention away from sensations of fear, panic and anxiety, and overwhelms it with a vivid, assertive, strong flavor instead.
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Candy canes: winter’s best “medicine”
Peppermint has been around for a long time. Originally used as a medicinal herb, peppermint has been cultivated for its essential oil since the 1700s. Oil from the peppermint plant contains menthol, which is said to have multiple health benefits, including:
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Calming an upset stomach and aiding in digestion.
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Serving as a powerful decongestant, making it easier to breathe with a cold.
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Dulling simple aches and pains by inhibiting nerve reaction to painful stimuli.
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Soothing muscle spasms or cramps, creating a relaxing or invigorating effort, depending on when you use it.
All in all, we consider these as wins in the candy column. This author’s bottom line … enjoy the candy … just do it in moderation.
Happy Halloween!
