12 Spooky Ingredients to Avoid

It’s that time of year again. Between the scary movies, costumes and spooky events candy could be one of the spookiest things about Halloween and you may not even know it. Let’s face it. The majority of kids around this holiday are going to eat so much candy their stomach will start to hurt. Research shows that the average kid will eat three cups of sugar or more on Halloween alone. This doesn’t include the snacks or sugary candies you gave them earlier that day or even the week. With that being said check out these 12 spooky ingredients to avoid. Let’s dive in and find out why this should matter to you.

The 12 Spooky Ingredients to Avoid and Why

If you’re reading this I assume you’re interested in finding out more about what’s in your candy.  These ingredients might shock you, and you may have not even been aware of them. That’s okay. I’m here to give you a little insight on what I’ve found.

There are 12 ingredients that you should avoid that I am going to focus on in this post. They are artificial dyes, high fructose corn syrup, added sugar, carrageenan, sodium benzoate, carnauba wax, titanium dioxide, TBHQ, BHT, PGPR, caramel color and partially hydrogenated oils.

Artificial dyes

If you look at the ingredient list on the back of the candy it will tell you what they use to make the candy. You can spot artificial dyes easily because they usually have a number and color beside each other. For example, Blue1, Yellow5, Red40, and so on. You should know that these dyes can also have an alternate name such as Red40. Which is a.k.a Allura Red AC. This can be confusing but once you start to learn the easier it will become to spot. Check out more about artificial food dyes here: Understand artificial food dyes.

Artificial colors should be avoided because multiple studies show that artificial colors can have an effect on attention and activity in children, cause allergic reactions, cause a reduction in cognitive function, and can disrupt the immune system. Listed below are the 12 ingredients with a mini description each.

High Fructose Corn Syrup

This ingredient is one I try to avoid at all costs. This goes into a lot more than just our candy which is why it’s important to pay attention to the ingredients. High fructose corn syrup can lead to obesity, is linked to diabetes, inflammation, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, increase in fat production, and worsening insulin sensitivity.

That almost seems like too much for one ingredient. The question remains, why are these types of ingredients allowed in our food?

Carrageenan

Carrageenan is considered an emulsifier. Emulsifiers help liquids stay together that normally don’t mix. Such as water and oil. It can cause digestive problems, bloating, irritable bowel disease, inflammation, and growth of colon polyps. This again can be found in more than just candy.

Sodium-benzoate

Sodium-benzoate is a known carcinogen. Which means research shows that it causes cancer. It can also cause allergic reactions, DNA damage, and reduce fertility.

Carnauba Wax

This ingredient, like some of the others, is still under review for the harm it may cause to humans. Right now, it shows that this ingredient can cause dry skin, acne, rashes, inflammation, dermatitis, dizziness, nausea, blurry vision, and irritation. This ingredient is usually blended with synthetic chemicals.

Titanium Dioxide

This ingredient claims to help create a smooth texture and give candy its bright color. Candies that contain this ingredient are Skittles, Starbursts, Sour Patch and so on. This ingredient can accumulate in the body and lead to DNA damage and hormone disruption.

TBHQ

TBHQ short for Tert-Butylhydroquinone. A preservative that prolongs shelf life. TBHQ can harm the immune system and raise food allergies. Reese’s is one of many candies that contains TBHQ.

BHT

Stands for butylated hydroxytoluene. BHT is a preservative used to extend shelf life. This ingredient has been shown to cause cancer in animals and is an endocrine disruptor.

Caramel color

Caramel color can be made multiple different ways. Depending on the way it’s made could lead to different side effects. Examples of these side effects include cramps, white blood cell changes, damaging DNA, and can have developmental, endocrine, and reproductive effects.

Partially Hydrogenated Oils

Partially hydrogenated oils contain trans-fat which can lead to heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, and insulin resistance. Examples of hydrogenated oils include soybean oil, cottonseed oil, palm kernel, and coconut oil.

Added sugar

Sugar is a main contributor to lots of health issues and diseases. If you look at lots of our food, sugar is constantly being added to almost everything. Especially the food on the shelves. My advice is to avoid it the best you can.

Alternate options for the 12 spooky ingredients to avoid

After reading all the side effects that these ingredients can have, I hope you feel the urge to ditch the candy or at least cut back. It can be helpful to know that there are alternatives. You can get better options of candy without the extra added ingredients, but it tends to cost more and is harder to find. Unless you are ordering offline. Check out the other options below.

The Switch-a-roo

Something you can try to do is called the switch-a-roo which is where you trade out the candy for fun activities or other homemade treats. I’ve heard of many parents who do the “witch switch” or something of that sort where they will leave the candy out overnight and someone will come switch out the candy for something cool. This seems to work well. Many parents don’t want their children eating all of that candy and this provided them with a creative way to get rid of the candy while keeping the kids happy.

Myself on the other hand. I’m a little more upfront. We just don’t participate. Not only because of the candy but that is a huge reason. My son is allergic to the majority of the candy and if he’s not allergic to it, it has artificial dyes which in my opinion also make him have a reaction. So, we try to avoid it all together.

This is definitely easier said than done. With family members having to adjust and little to almost no readily available options for people with allergies. Some companies like Yum Earth are trying to get their candy on the shelves, but I’ve noticed recently they haven’t been stocked.

You can also not give out candy. Instead, you could give out tasty snacks. Remember to be aware of the ingredient list because some of the foods have the same ingredients listed above. And you can always make your own treats instead with your little ones.

To say the least

The reason it’s important to talk about is because in America candy isn’t just a sweet treat. It’s something that is a part of a lot of Americans diets. Even if you don’t eat candy every day, the amount of food products that contain these same ingredients is shocking. Monitoring our intake and knowing how much we consume can determine the outcome of our health later in life.

Not knowing that these ingredients can have this effect can be scarier than the actual holiday itself. I know some will say that it’s only one day out of the year. “It won’t hurt.” they’ll say. But in all honesty, these ingredients are in too many of the foods we eat today. That means we are getting more than just one days’ worth of all these ingredients. They can be in our cereal, pasta sauce, juice, Nutri grain bars and more.

Continue to read labels and research what you’re eating. Let’s put an end to eating without reading. I hope you enjoyed this article and will replace the 12 spooky ingredients to avoid with other options that are better for you. If you weren’t even aware that this was taking place, you can always start now and continue to research and learn more and more.