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As Halloween nears, so does the amount of candy and chocolate on supermarket shelves. Sugary treats may be a big part of the spookiest night of the year, but figuring out how to navigate sweets, for ourselves and children, doesn’t need to be scary.  Danielle Battram – professor, dietitian and director of the Brescia School of Food and Nutritional Sciences in the Faculty of Health Sciences – dispels myths about sugar, breaks down the role it plays in the body and offers advice to help children foster a healthy relationship with food.    

Western News: Why do humans find sugar so rewarding? 

Danielle Battram (DB): Our whole body is designed to use sugar, or glucose, as fuel. And while we have the capacity to use other fuels, our cells often prefer glucose to other sources.   When glucose levels start to drop in our blood, our brain tells us to, ‘eat please, I need more fuel.’ So, when we eat, we satisfy this very basic and primitive need, and it feels rewarding.    

What happens in the body on a physiological level when we consume sugar?  

DB: Like all food, sugar goes through a digestive process. As sugar is absorbed by your gut, blood glucose levels begin to rise, and the pancreas secrets insulin in response. Insulin is a hormone that acts like a key, allowing the glucose to enter your cells.   Once this happens, our brain receives a signal to decrease appetite; we have given our cells what they need, and now the body tells us we have satisfied that desire for fuel. When those blood sugar levels come back down, the signal to eat increases again, and the process repeats.    

What happens in the body when we feel a ‘sugar crash’? 

DB: The foods and beverages you consume, as well as how you eat and drink, will determine the rate at which your blood sugar rises and falls.   We’ve all had those days when we eat lunch, get busy throughout the day, and by the time we get home we’re feeling ravenous because our blood sugar has dropped. This can also happen when we consume a lot of sugar, particularly in beverage form. The body absorbs all that sugar quickly, leading to a swift drop in blood sugars resulting in what is often described as a ‘crash.’  To avoid this potential crash, eat regularly and consume foods that help keep your blood sugars stable; we don’t want these big hills and valleys of glucose in our blood, we want a steady supply throughout the day. For example, eating an apple is better than drinking apple juice because the sugar is absorbed more slowly, helping blood glucose levels rise gradually and stay stable for longer. These strategies help us fill satiated longer and helps control our appetite – often leading to better food choices.   

Do kids react to sugar by becoming hyperactive? 

DB: No. There have been a lot of studies, systematic reviews and meta-analyses which all suggest that children do not get hyperactive from sugar itself.    Think about when kids usually have candy or sweets – often around an exciting event! Whether it’s a birthday party, Halloween or a sleepover, there’s a lot of excitement from the event itself. They’re in a stimulating environment, which leads us to wrongfully equate hyperactivity with sugar. If they’re hyper, it’s because they’re happy to be in the given environment. Kids can certainly also experience a ‘crash’ if they don’t stay fueled properly like adults. So it’s important that we regulate their blood sugar by having them eat consistently and choosing nutritious foods as often as possible.   

Do the sugars found in fruits versus those in candy affect our bodies differently? 

DB: No. A glucose molecule is a glucose molecule. When your body consumes glucose from a candy compared to an apple, it doesn’t know which one is which, it only recognizes the glucose.  The difference is in how our blood glucose rises. It takes more time to digest and absorb the glucose in an apple than a piece of candy: that’s the difference. The fibre in the apple slows down the absorption of the sugar. It’s got nothing to do with where the molecule is coming from.  But there are other reasons to opt for the apple, too. We want people to choose the fruit because you’re getting a lot of nutrition, such as vitamins, minerals and fibre, at the same time as glucose or fuel. One concern we have as dietitians is that if you’re consuming a lot of excess sugar, you’re getting fuel, but not nutrients – that can lead to deficiencies.  We also want to make sure kids are consuming all the fruits, vegetables, protein and fibre they need in addition to glucose, because their brains and bodies are constantly developing, and they need all this nutrition to be healthy and grow.   

Should we be wary of the amount of candy kids eat on Halloween? 

DB: We’ve got to remember it’s the totality of what we do that determines our health. Our health is a marathon, not a sprint. Are we going to do significant damage to our children because they go out on Halloween and eat more candy for a week? Probably not. Candy is a part of Halloween, which is also associated with dressing up, running outside in the dark, being with your friends and family and an opportunity to engage with members of our community – all of which we want kids to experience.   As a parent, there are constraints you can place on Halloween and the candy they consume after the night is over, but Halloween is a short-term event. It’s what we do every day that matters. Making sure our kids have the foods they need for growth and development, helping them set healthy habits and ultimately having them enjoy a once-a-year activity with friends and family – that’s going to be more meaningful in the long run.  

What happens when parents restrict candy?

DB: Growing up, candy was never made a big deal in our house. When we had family nights, sometimes our movie snack would be candy, other times it would be carrot sticks and dip. Candy was just one of the many foods we ate. We don’t want to set up a dynamic of sweets as a reward or something ‘special’, since too much restriction can actually enhance its appeal. Sweets are part of our food system, and yes, they taste good. If we can set an example of eating well, balancing foods and introducing sugar in a reasonable way, kids will be set up for success.   

What’s your advice for parents who want to help their kids create a healthy relationship with food? 

DB: Present a lot of different food options; you want to create variety. Keep introducing them to new foods, including a bit of everything in your family’s meals. Not setting up the war between what we would consider to be healthy, nutritious food and ‘treats’ will also go a long way.  We can also get children to participate in the food process. Data shows the more you get children involved in preparing meals, and teach them about the food system, the more likely they are to try new foods. It gives a sense of agency and ownership in the process. Some of my favorite moments in research have come from working with children in the kitchen – they are socializing and learning, without even realizing it.   Feeding kids can be challenging, but if we try to take the power struggle and stress out of it, while making it an engaging activity, it can make eating and mealtimes a more enjoyable experience.    

Having studied sugar, what’s one fact that surprised you the most? 

DB: I’m still astounded at how much misinformation there is about sugar, and the fear messaging that suggests added sugar is as potent as a drug. There can be a lot of guilt over enjoying it, and that’s not what we want. Eating is supposed to provide us with the nutrients and fuel we need to live a good life, and allow us to do all the things we want to do.  As a dietitian, my role is to support people in cultivating an enjoyable and healthy relationship with food that supports all their needs. It means helping each person find what works for them, and making room for the foods they want to enjoy – including sugar.   We don’t need to fear sugar, we just need to be mindful of it. This Halloween, let’s lean into the excitement, and leave the fear for ghouls and zombies. Learn more about how Western is optimizing health for all.