Hard lollies, a part of cultural celebrations in the west, have also become a common name in India. They are made from sugar, corn syrup, and some flavourings. Hard lollies are loaded with simple sugars like glucose and sucrose. Some varieties have fructose and maltose syrup added as sweeteners. Since hard lollies are made entirely from sugar, they do lead to a spike in glucose levels.
Control your sugar spikes from candies
• You may opt for sugar-free candies or those with sugar substitutes like aspartame or stevia as sweeteners.
• Practice portion control by having 1-2 candies, as it is possible to overindulge due to their small size and sweetness.
• Consider keeping lollies with processed chocolates at bay. The sugar content is much higher in them as they have additional sweeteners.
Eating excess sugar and carbs causes a surge in insulin. This leads to a rapid drop in sugar levels after a while, known as the ‘sugar crash’. Hard lollies are heavy in sugar and carbs —on average, a small piece of candy has 4g of carbs. Hence, it’s no wonder that these can cause hyperglycemia. Therefore, it is crucial to optimise your consumption of hard lollies.
