How much candy is too much candy? There is a big bag of candy sitting on the counter staring at you, haunting you, really. So, is there actually a limit before death by sugar? Or can we keep shoveling those “fun-sized” Kit Kats into our faces with impunity?
Oh, You Can Die All Right
The American Chemical Society (ACS) provided research on how much candy could potentially be lethal. The calculation is based upon “LD 50,” which is the quantity of sugar that could kill half of an animal test population.
For those of us that like to live life on the edge, the danger really comes from consuming a heap of candy all at once. So, when you grab a few pieces to satisfy your sweet tooth – and then a few more – you’re not putting yourself at risk of death, just maybe type-two diabetes. You’d have to chow down 5.4 pounds of sugar – read: 262 pieces of candy – to put yourself at risk of a 50/50 chance of death.
If math is not your strong suit, the New York Post breaks down calculating the exact number you can eat based on weight into simple terms: take your body weight and multiply it by 13.5 and then divide that by 9.3, giving the total amount of “fun-sized” candies your body can handle.
The science behind dying from sugar, according to professor of chemistry at American University, Matt Hartings, comes down to the high levels of sucrose changing the balance of water in your body’s cells. The tummy ache you’re bound to experience might also be cause for death.
Don’t worry, for those of who prefer traditional Halloween candy, the ACS didn’t forget about you. According to their research, the average American, at 180 pounds, can handle 1,627 pieces of candy corn. So, go ahead and enjoy those 1,626 pieces.
