False facts about candy you always thought were true

You would be hard-pressed to find someone who hates candy. With so many different types of treats, there's something for everyone. Not only is there a lot of candy out there, there's a lot of false information out there, too. You've probably fallen prey to some of these "facts" about candy that are actually complete myths. How many of these false facts about candy have you believed?

Chewing gum takes years to digest

Every kid knows they should never, ever, ever swallow their chewing gum, right? Its rubbery texture has been rumored to take years to digest if you swallow it and can supposedly wreak havoc on your digestive system.

It turns out that this "fact" is just playground lore. While the composition of chewing gum does make it difficult to break down (which is why it doesn't disintegrate in your mouth), it doesn't actually linger around in your body if you swallow it. Instead, it gets pushed out with the rest of your body's waste, just as any other foreign object would.

Chocolate will give you acne

It's likely that your parents used the threat of an acne-scarred face to warn you off of eating too much chocolate. While that threat may have done the trick, it turns out that you didn't really have to swear off all of those Hershey's bars.

Dr. Ava Shamban, a board-certified dermatologist, told The Huffington Post, "chocolate per se will not make you break out" and that "there is little evidence that chocolate or any specific fatty foods will cause acne." While it's true that a diet high in sugar and fat can contribute to acne breakouts, there is no evidence that eating chocolate will cause a zit to sprout on your face.

White chocolate is chocolate

Some people think white chocolate is just another form of chocolate, but the truth is that white chocolate isn't really chocolate at all. While milk chocolate and dark chocolate are derived from cocoa powder, white chocolate is made from cocoa butter. This lack of chocolate solids means that white chocolate doesn't qualify as real chocolate (although it is still pretty tasty)

Candy makes kids hyper

A lot of parents refrain from giving their kids too much candy, convinced it will make them hyper and out-of-control. It turns out, however, there is no truth to the idea that sugar causes hyperactivity in kids. One study published in The New England Journal of Medicine found that "most controlled studies have not found consistent adverse effects" when sugar or aspartame was given to children. The next time your kid asks for a piece of candy before bedtime, you won't be able to argue that it will keep them awake!

Read More