With the holidays' sweets coming in, health experts are concerned that people might jack up on their sugar consumption, thus unwittingly damaging their health.
Researchers from the American Chemical Society conducted an experiment on rats to see how much sugar they could stand before it kills them. The results were alarming, according to the Daily Mail.
They found out that a fatal dose of candy for a human would require a person to eat 13.5 grams of sugar for every pound in their body. This means that a man with an average weight of 190 lbs. can only eat up to 2,640 grams of sugar in one go before his body takes a nosedive. This is equivalent to over 100 "fun sized" packets of plain M&Ms or 155 "fun sized" Snickers.
In comparison, an average woman weighing 166 lbs. can eat up to 214 individual Reese's peanut butter cups, 1,627 piece of corn candy, or 332 mini Kit Kat bars in one sitting, which is equivalent to 2,250 grams of sugar.
But even if people manage to survive these sugar binges, researches said their bodies would have difficulty in breaking down the glucose in the sugar. This would lead to liver damage, gastrointestinal disturbances, and even depression.
Other risks, especially for diabetics, include damage to the eyes, heart, nerves and kidneys.
Because of this, researchers are recommending that people moderate their sugar intake. Dietitian Gabrielle Maston explained, "Moderation is key, especially if kids have an otherwise healthy diet."
"The first thing that happens when they consume the sugar is a spike in blood glucose, which then makes their insulin go up and they start to get very hungry 30 minutes later," she said. "This means they will be ready for a meal soon after and could lead to over-eating or in worst case scenarios, binge eating."
