With Halloween right around the corner, people are already making their plans for enjoying the spooky holiday. More and more people are hitting the stores for costumes, decorations, treats, and party themes. Heartburn sufferers know it’s the beginning of the fall holiday season. That means there will be candy, filling foods, and sweets that can potentially put a damper on holiday fun. That’s why they need to do a little extra planning before the Halloween festivities begin.
Let’s face it, adults and children love Halloween and both can get heartburn. Fortunately it is possible to avoid discomfort while indulging in certain treats that will be joyfully distributed on that day. Here’s how you can pick and choose which sweets to eat and avoid in your candy bag.
The scary ones – chocolate bars, peppermints, Starburst
These are likely to be the top heartburn-inducing Halloween treats you might find in your candy stash. Chocolate’s combination of caffeine and fat can always be a problem. Peppermints can also be a problem on Halloween or any time of the year. The presence of spearmint can trigger heartburn. Did you expect to see Starburst in the “scary” list? Believe it or not, it belongs. It’s a candy with its own set of acidic ingredients that trigger heartburn.
The not-so-scary ones – hard candies, sour treats, licorice, gummies, candy corn
See? There are still plenty of popular Halloween treats that can be enjoyed without the heartburn, and these are at the top of the list. It’s hard to imagine a trick or treat walk or a Halloween party without the presence of candy corn. You can indulge in it without a big threat of heartburn.
Gummy and sour candies (Sour Patch Kids, Gummy Bears) should be a safe choice. In fact, some of the sour elements of candy might help lower the chances of acidic problems. Since the fruit taste doesn’t come from actual citrus properties, they’re not going to cause heartburn.
Licorice treats like Twizzlers tend to be low in fat and calories, so it’s a safe bet. Candies that allow you to chew or suck on (jaw breakers and gum) help generate saliva and should, therefore, keep bad heartburn flare-ups at bay.
If we can answer your questions about heartburn on Halloween or any time of the year, contact us to schedule a visit.