"Healthy candy" sounds too good to be true, but that's exactly what an increasing number of companies are selling. These trendy sweets showing up on grocery store shelves promise to satisfy your sweet tooth without the extra calories, sugar or artificial ingredients. Instead of the refined sugar found in traditional candy, these so-called "healthy" or diet candies may contain natural sweeteners and low- or zero-calorie sugar substitutes, as well added fiber.
Are these candies with less sugar or fewer calories actually better for you? Are there any side effects or risks? TODAY's Ashley Nguyen joined a panel of experts, including doctors and nutritionists to discuss the health benefits and risks of these popular candies in a . Here's what they had to say. Healthy candy is a broad category, the experts note.
Ingredients and nutrition content will vary by product and brand, and but generally, these candy alternatives tend to be: Most traditional candy features sugar as the main ingredient. Cane sugar, brown sugar, honey and maple syrup, are all examples of , which means they provide energy in the form of simple carbohydrates, according to the U.S.
Department of Agriculture. The body breaks down these carbs into glucose, which ends up in the bloodstream as blood sugar. Many of these new, healthier candies contain non-sugar substitutes.
Nonnutritive sweeteners, also known as artificial sweeteners, contain very few, if any, carbohydrates. Artificial sweeteners are chemically synthes.