When you or someone you know starts eating the candy this Halloween, you may spiral down into the holiday abyss that continues for 2 months until the new year begins. The premise of Halloween for kids is collecting candy. Every city in California celebrates Halloween (here are some cities and events) and it’s a sure bet that kids & adults consume more sugar at Halloween than their bodies need. Here’s the low down on sugar:

The recommended sugar intake for adult women is 20 grams (5 teaspoons ) of sugar per day, for adult men, it's 36 grams (9 teaspoons) daily, and for children, it’s 12 grams (3 teaspoons) a day, according to the American Heart Association, which found the average person consumes around 92 grams (23 teaspoons) of sugar per day.

The sugar industry is not in decline but obesity is on the increase, and sugar is a major culprit. Consuming even a teaspoon of sugar a day can cause metabolic imbalances that contribute to obesity. Sugar is to be avoided, not only by the obese but by healthy individuals. When a person is in metabolic balance they do not crave sugar. If they do, it is a sign of a metabolic imbalance and it can be corrected without having to consume sugar. The body changes sugar into 2 to 5 times more fat in the bloodstream than it does starch. Is there any reason why we need sugar? It tastes good and makes us temporarily feel good. In a nutshell, if you can pace your Halloween sugar & candy consumption, you’ll be better off.

Candy with most sugar: Junior Mints – 32 grams of sugar, M&M’s Milk Chocolate – 31 grams of sugar, Skittles – 47 grams of sugar, Hershey’s Milk Chocolate – 31 grams of sugar, Milky Way – 35 grams of sugar, 3 Musketeer’s – 40 grams of sugar, Snickers – 30 grams of sugar. The typical Halloween Trick or Treat bag of candy loot can contain around 1,500 – 5,000 grams of sugar.

Here’s some effects of sugar on the human body:

• Sugar can decrease growth hormone key to staying youthful and lean
• Sugar feeds cancer
• Sugar increases cholesterol
• Sugar can weaken eyesight
• Sugar can cause drowsiness and decreased activity in children
• Sugar can interfere with the absorption of protein
• Sugar causes food allergies
• Sugar contributes to diabetes
• Sugar can contribute to eczema in children
• Sugar can cause cardiovascular disease
• Sugar can impair the structure of DNA
• Sugar can cause hyperactivity, anxiety, difficulty concentrating, and crankiness in children
• Sugar contributes to the reduction in defense against bacterial infection
• Sugar assists the uncontrolled growth of yeast infections
• Sugar contributes to osteoporosis