Tips for staying healthy this Halloween

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Halloween is a great time of year for kids and adults alike, and any health risks are very low, but there are certain risks that people are particularly worried about that are worth discussing.

Let’s start with candy.

You may have heard concerns that have been raised over some of the food dyes used in candy. The reality is that the food industry uses thousands of natural and synthetic substances as flavorings, coloring substances, preservatives, sweeteners, and thickeners in candy.

A small number of these additives have been associated with problematic effects in some kids.

Studies have shown that some of these additives can cause allergic reactions including rashes, tongue swelling, even outright anaphylaxis, as well as asthmatic symptoms in kids who have asthma.

Symptoms usually occur from within minutes to a few hours of eating the candy.

This has been reported specifically with spearmint, peppermint, and menthol flavorings, Carmine (E120), which is a red food dye used in candy, pectin (a jelling agent and thickener) and gelatin (used in things like gummy candies and fruit chews).

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However, these reactions are extremely rare according to studies, occurring in only 0.23 per cent of the population (about 1 in 400 kids).

A more important risk is posed to kids with nut allergies, because kids will inevitably end up with some chocolates containing nuts.

The other theory that people may have heard is that certain food dyes used in candies can worsen attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children.

This was first reported in the 1970s, and has been looked at in several studies since then with mixed results.

For now, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has concluded that dyes do not cause ADHD symptoms, but research is ongoing.

Even if there is an association, it would likely be that these dyes make the problem worse in kids who are already prone to it, rather than being a cause of ADHD.

We also know that sugar can lead to cavities.

This is especially true with candies that dissolve slowly or by eating candy throughout the day.

So the key is to moderate the amount, the frequency, and the duration of candy consumption, and ideally to brush teeth immediately after.

There’s also something called Halloween diarrhea, which has been reported to be caused by excessive consumption of a substance called sorbitol, which is a sweetener used in sugar free gums and candies.

So if you are getting sugar free candies, for example for kids with diabetes, you need to watch out for this.

The much bigger issue from a public health point of view is the risk of being struck by a car.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the U.S. reported that kids are four times more likely to be hit by cars on Halloween night than on any other night of the year.

And we know why this happens; kids are out in the dark wearing dark costumes, many of which restrict peripheral vision and hearing, and when they get excited and distracted, they tend to dart across the street without checking for cars.

So this Saturday, focus on keeping your kids safe on the roads and limit candy to just a few pieces per day.