Holiday Candy Is Sweet, But Not For Your Gut

It’s on the shelves of your local grocery store and in your holiday gifts: Your favorite sweets. Whether you love Frangos or a few squares of peppermint bark, once you have one, it’s so easy to have another, and another … and another.  

Don’t worry; you can enjoy your favorite holiday candy without shame. But while you’re snacking, keep your gut microbiome in mind. While you may love sugar, your gut doesn’t.

How does candy affect the gut microbiome?

Your gut microbiome is the collection of bacteria and other microbes in your intestines. The health of your gut microbes has been found to play an important role in your overall health, and an imbalanced gut microbiome can make you feel, well, bad, plus negatively affect your gastrointestinal, cardiovascular and even mental health.

Dr. Christopher Damman, a gastroenterologist at UW Medicine and an expert in the microbiome and its relationship to the body, says that a healthy gut microbiome can help the immune system distinguish between friend (the good stuff that enters your body) and foe (the stuff your body doesn’t need) and reduce the overall risk of infection.

“Sugar and inflammation can undermine the microbiome’s role in training the immune system to distinguish between harmful invaders and harmless substances,” says Damman.

Basically, too much sugar can feed the wrong type of bacteria in your gut, which can then lead to inflammation. If inflammation becomes chronic, it can contribute to many diseases.

It’s about balance, not shame

It’s important not to shame yourself or push yourself into unsustainable diets, which can be especially hard during the holiday season when your favorite sweets are almost everywhere you look.  

So, before you scold yourself for reaching for another Nanaimo bar or salted grey caramel, practice a different kind of attitude towards your treat-yourself habit: Stay positive, comfortable and flexible about your eating habits while acknowledging what your body needs to be well-nourished. 

This might look like acknowledging that you love indulging your sweet tooth and also noticing — and stopping — when your body starts to feel full.  

If you do have a sweet-filled day, that’s OK. Damman says that the microbiome is resilient; all you need to do is return to healthy eating habits the next day.  

“Your microbiome can withstand a one-day sugar surge,” he says. “It’ll bounce back fairly quickly. Add an extra helping of whole grains, nuts and fermented foods such as yogurt to help you feel better the next day.”

Give your body treats, but treat it well, too  

After the stresses of a long year (or really, anytime), it’s reasonable to enjoy your favorite candy. Just because too much sugar isn’t great for the body, doesn’t mean you should try to completely avoid it.  

“I think taking too strict an approach to nutrition and completely limiting things often will backfire,” says Damman.  

So, grab that candy cane (and another, if it feels good), but remember to give your body a little extra love the next day so it has what it needs to love you right back. 

Barbara Clements contributed to this article. A version of this story originally appeared on the UW Medicine Newsroom.