Surprising Health Benefits of Sweets
While a handful of sweets might seem like a foreboding health nightmare, there’s little need to feel guilt about the occasional sweet. On the contrary, there are some surprising benefits of eating sweets.
Whether you’re thinking about boosts to energy or lowering levels of stress, sweets can help get you and your body through stressful moments, and in the right quantities can be beneficial to your overall well-being.
While it might not be the best idea to gorge yourself on candy, the occasional sweet will help you in surprising ways. Keep reading to learn all about the incredible health benefits of eating sweets.
What Does Sugar Do?
Sugar is something nearly impossible to avoid when you’re having a sweet as a snack. However, there is some science behind the reasons why sugar affects your body the way it does.
First, sugar enters your bloodstream very quickly and, once it reaches your brain, releases dopamine.
Dopamine is what causes you to link an action to a reward or some kind of motivation. As such, some argue that sugar is addictive. However, if used right, it can be a great way to overcome exhaustion and fatigue and can even help your body in ways you would have never expected.
5 Surprising Health Benefits of Sweets You Need to Know
1. Sweets Could Help You Live Longer
One 1998 study found that college-age men who ate sweets regularly lived twice as long as those who didn’t. It didn’t even matter how much candy the participants ate- those who consumed any amount of sweets lived longer than those who never ate candy.
Though, those who ate sweets around once per week lived longer than those who ate sweets regularly. Moderation is essential, after all!
2. Chocolate Is Like Magic
Chocolate sweets are a great way to help decrease your risk of heart problems. For example, some studies show that those who eat chocolate regularly have a 39% less chance of dying from a heart attack. People who eat one chocolate bar a week even have a 46% less chance of dying from a stroke.
Going even further, chocolate contains serotonin, a key neurotransmitter found in your body that helps to stabilize your mood and lower symptoms of anxiety and depression. There may even be some antioxidant effects of chocolate phenols.
What are phenols? Well, phenols are an antioxidant also found in red wine that can help promote heart health and reduce the risk of heart arrhythmia. In addition, chocolate consumption can help with blood pressure and with the reduction of insulin sensitivity.
Finally, chocolate contains a chemical called GECGC, which is one of the most effective chemicals used when fighting fast-growing cancers like colon cancer, cervical cancer, and leukemia.
Chocolate is filled with naturally-forming chemicals that can help keep your body and mind sound. So, when you eat a chocolate bar and smile, it’s not just because you’re cheating your diet. In reality, the chocolate itself is improving your body and mind.
3. Sugar Can Help You Focus
While you might be tempted to opt for sugar-free sweets, don’t make the switch just yet. A small amount of sugar can help give you a brief energy boost when you’re struggling throughout your day. For example, a few small sweets can help you through the afternoon slump or make your way through a never-ending meeting.
4. Sweets Bring Back Joy
The sugar inside of sweets helps us remember fond moments of our past. We think back to eating cake at birthday parties and sweets on holidays whenever we eat familiar sweets.
This association helps your brain think back to happy, joyous moments whenever you’re feeling down. Sweets help to unlock positive memories in your brain simply by association.
5. Chewing Gum Has Health Benefits, Too
One piece of chewing gum can help with countless facets of your health. Not only can chewing a bit of gum help with stress levels and even pain levels, but it can help balance mood and boost serotonin levels.
The repetitive motion of chewing triggers areas in your brain that affect stress levels. So, chewing gum often helps your brain associate the movement with relaxation and calm, which can help you focus on challenging tasks.
There might even be some correlation between chewing gum and concentration skills. For example, your frontal and temporal beta power are heightened with the motions of chewing gum, and even better, most chewing gums lack sugar, making them an excellent treat for sugar-conscious snackers.
Ready For Your Next Sweet?
If you’re looking for high-quality sweets, look no further than us at Sweet Factory. We deliver sweet treats right to your door, and our sweets are always backed by quality.
We even offer halal, vegan, and vegetarian treats, so no matter what diet you follow, there will be the perfect sweet for you (and your body!).
Check out our whole list of sweets here — we’re sure to have something to satisfy any sweet tooth!
