Halloween Candy: How Much Sugar is Too Much?

Q. My husband and I weren't visited by many greedy goblins this Halloween. We still have a big stash of leftover candy tempting us. Most of it's just sugar. Are the effects of sugar really that bad? We're great brushers!
-- Anonymous, via e-mail

A. Nah, there's nothing wrong with sugar, as long as you don't mind your arteries clogging, your cancer risk rising, and your skin aging faster than the latest iPhone sells.

How can sugar cause so much trouble? We'll keep this short, if not sweet:

1. 1.When you eat more sugar than your body can burn, it messes up your proteins. For instance, it stops one type from delivering oxygen to your tissues. Plus, your liver repackages excess sugar into fat and dumps it into your bloodstream, where it clogs up your arteries. ( These 3 surprising ways to eat less sugar will satisfy your sweet tooth.)
2. There's growing evidence that frequent, large doses of sugar are toxic to certain cells, causing damage that leads to cancer. That's why people who eat a sugar-heavy diet are 70% more likely to develop deadly pancreatic cancer than those who shun the sweet stuff.
3. Too many sweets accelerate skin aging because sugar is attracted to collagen proteins. Normally, collagen keeps skin elastic, supple, and well supported, but when collagen hooks up with sugar, it can't do its job properly. The result? Your face gradually starts looking a bit like a pumpkin. (Get help cutting back on sweets.)

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