National Candy Cane Day: 4 Health Benefits (2024)

FAQs

What are the benefits of eating candy canes? ›

Menthol can also act as a potent decongestant and can clear a stuffy nose and make it easier to breathe. Peppermint works as an expectorant because menthol thins mucus, loosen phlegm and breaks up coughs. Pain Relief: Peppermint-flavored candy can be used to dull some aches and pains.

“In the case of most commercially processed foods, it's contamination during processing and packaging that leads to foodborne illness, not the age of the food. So, even after some time passes, candy should be safe to eat as long as it was properly handled and it remains unopened prior to eating.”

If you have an upset stomach, your first instinct may be to suck on a peppermint candy or brew a soothing cup of peppermint tea. However, while the minty treat can help some digestive conditions, like indigestion and gas, it may hurt others, such as heartburn due to gastroesophogeal reflux disease (GERD).

While peppermint candy is a good snack in small amounts, it can add more calories to your daily diet if you eat it in large quantities. Consuming 20 candies in a single sitting is equivalent to 400 calories; eating them multiple times a week can quickly add up to 3,500 calories, resulting in a pound of fat in a month.

While too much refined sugar is associated with health problems, there's plenty of evidence that moderate candy consumption can actually boost your wellbeing in a number of ways. Anyone with a sweet tooth already knows how some sour gummies or a piece of chocolate can reduce stress and improve your mood.

Candy Cane Ingredients

Here's the truth, which may or may not surprise you: Candy canes don't really offer much in terms of nutrition. “They are primarily made of refined carbs and sugars, including fructose,” says Brocha Soloff, BS, RD, CDN, founder of iHeart Health.

Hard candies essentially have an indefinite shelf life, provided they are stored properly. Items like lollipops, Jolly Ranchers, and other individually wrapped candies do best without exposure to moisture.

"Things like candy canes or ribbon candy are good for well over a year, up to five years possibly. The sugar creates a matrix that holds it all together," said Allured. This is as long as you store it in a cool, dry place: "Humidity is the enemy."

The menthol in peppermint is known to be an effective decongestant to open up nasal passages. 8,9 It's also soothing to the throat can calm dry cough. Plus a sweet treat tastes extra good when you aren't feeling your best.

Can I eat candy canes while pregnant? ›

So if you can keep yourself to just a single serving you are certainly better off going with the candy cane. However, if you find yourself eating three or four candy canes, you're better just indulging on the single Peppermint Pattie.

Menthol interacts with the body's calcium channels. While this response triggers a pleasant cooling sensation in normal doses, large amounts can be toxic. Seizures are possible when this toxicity occurs, and in rare cases, it can even be fatal. Obviously, peppermint candy is meant to be taken internally.

Lead has been found in candy imported from Indian, China, Taiwan and Mexico, according to the California Department of Public Health, which tests treats for lead. Neither Cook County nor the state of Illinois tests food for lead.

At What Age Can Kids Eat Candy Canes? According to the AAP, hard candy, such as candy canes, should not be introduced to kids before the age of 5.

You should not let your dog eat candy canes or even sugar-free candy canes. Candy canes have little to no nutritional value and can cause several dangerous health issues for your pooch; therefore, they are not appropriate dog treats under any circ*mstances.

While candy canes are delicious, they can be damaging because of their high sugar content. This may surprise you as candy canes don't typically taste very sweet. When you suck on a candy cane, you're spreading sugar around your mouth.

The active ingredient in peppermint is menthol. Some small studies show it can lessen the pain of migraine headaches. It may also reduce other symptoms like light sensitivity, nausea, and vomiting.

Tooth decay

It's also important to remember that candy canes contain sugar. Frequent exposure to candy canes can cause the sugar to stick to your teeth, giving the damaging bacteria in your mouth something to thrive off of. Candy canes are also a little sticky, so the sugar can be difficult to completely scrub away.

Religious affiliation

A common story of the origin of candy canes says that in 1670, in Cologne, Germany, the choirmaster at Cologne Cathedral, wishing to remedy the noise caused by children in his church during the Living Crèche tradition of Christmas Eve, asked a local candy maker for some "sugar sticks" for them.