THURSDAY, Oct. 31, 2024 (HealthDay News) -- Sugar overload is a real danger on Halloween, as piles of candy prove a powerful temptation to both Trick-or-Treaters and the folks handing out the goodies. Too many sweet treats can instigate a blood sugar spike followed by a hard crash, causing folks to become irritable and experience symptoms like dizziness, upset stomach, tiredness and headache, said Luis Rustveld , an associate professor of family and community medicine at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston.
“Sugar gets broken down into glucose by your body and travels through your bloodstream, signaling the pancreas to make insulin, which helps your cells convert glucose into energy,” Rustveld explained in a Baylor news release. “Too much sugar overwhelms the system, resulting in spikes in blood glucose levels.” The best way to prevent both kids and adults from overloading on sugar is to start the night with a normal, balanced meal, Rustveld advised.
Slow-digesting protein from the meal will help blunt blood sugar spikes, and a fuller stomach will lower the desire to munch on too much candy, he said. It’s also good to get in some physical activity -- either lots of steps Trick-or-Treating around the neighborhood, or working out earlier in the day -- to help maintain a balance between exercise and the added sugar in a Halloween diet, Rustveld said. He advised parents to stick with the American Heart Association’s daily added sugar intake of no more than 25 grams,.