Written By Sam Henselijn
Sour candy is a guilty pleasure for many, and is a treat that can be commonly found anywhere. The tartness is a nice contrast from the usual abundance of sugar found in candy, and it can be fun to share with friends and family to see everyone’s best sour faces. However, is there such a thing as too much sour candy? Additionally, what happens if you do eat too much sour candy?
Can you eat too much sour candy?
Unfortunately, you can eat too much sour candy, and it can have
physical effects on your body. The acids in sour candy can eat away at the top layer of skin on your tongue, making it feel raw and sensitive. What happens is that the top layer begins to peel due to the skin being dead. It peels to make room for healing and new skin.
Sour candy, in extreme cases, can not only burn the skin of your tongue, but it can cause mouth blisters and damage your taste buds. If your mouth starts to feel uncomfortable, or has a burning sensation, you are on the track to damaging your mouth.
Luckily, the damage is not permanent. Within a week, or so, the taste buds on your tongue will start to come back, and the skin will heal itself. Mouths heal very quickly, and the pain shouldn’t last more than a few days. However, during this healing period you should not eat any more sour candy, and avoid salty foods if you can. Stay hydrated, and take care of your tongue a bit more than usual.
It is also important to note that sour candy can damage the enamel on your teeth, which is irreplaceable. To help combat this, dentists suggest waiting 30 minutes to an hour before brushing your teeth after eating sour candy. This gives your mouth some time to rinse the acids. If you brush before then you do brush the acid away, but your enamel will come with.
What can I do to cure a burnt tongue from sour candy?
Sour lovers, there is hope yet! If you do happen to eat too much sour candy, and damage your tongue or mouth, there are a few ways to help. A good preventative is to actively drink water as you eat sour candy, to help the citric acid wash down easier and avoid sticking to the inside of your mouth. However, if burning still occurs, try these methods to help:
- Consume dairy products
If possible, consume some sort of dairy product. Whether you choose milk, or yogurt, or even cottage cheese, dairy is known to coat and help soothe irritated skin. It can relieve some of the pain and help speed up the healing process.
- Suck on ice or popsicles
This is another easy way to help with the pain. Keeping something cold in your mouth will help lessen the burning sensation, and like dairy, help speed up the healing a little bit. This method is a great choice because it can be done constantly. You don’t have to wait any time before sucking on more ice.
Use sugar or honey
Coat the burnt area with a thin layer or sugar or honey. The sweetness will help a lot with the pain. You can do this multiple times throughout the healing to help.
Mouth gel
Most stores sell numbing gel over the counter. Gels like these can
be used on tongues, gums, teeth, and lips. If your tongue pain is especially bad, apply a little bit on the sore area and give it a little bit of time to numb up. This will make it easier to work through the pain as your tongue works hard on healing itself, and replacing the damaged skin.
The best thing you can do during the healing process is just baby your tongue. Drink lots of cool, or cold, water and avoid anything spicy or sour for a week until it is healed. Another thing you can do to help is avoid letting sour candy rest on your tongue for a long period of time. Letting the acids sit in the same spot is what causes a large amount of damage. Moving it around, and drinking water in between pieces are both effective ways to prevent tongue damage.
Now that you know how to both prevent tongue burns, and take care of them, you can still enjoy all the sour candy you want! Just keep an eye out, stay hydrated, and enjoy the tart flavors.
Sour candy, while a fun and tangy treat, can have adverse effects if consumed in excess. Here’s what you need to know about the potential impacts of too much sour candy in our FAQs section:
Can you eat too much sour candy?
Yes, consuming too much sour candy can lead to physical effects on your body. The acids in sour candy can damage the top layer of skin on your tongue, causing it to feel raw and sensitive. In extreme cases, it can also cause mouth blisters and damage your taste buds.
What happens if you eat too much sour candy?
Eating too much sour candy can burn the skin of your tongue and lead to the peeling of the top layer due to dead skin cells. This damage, while not permanent, can cause discomfort and a burning sensation in your mouth. It’s important to give your mouth time to heal by avoiding more sour candy and salty foods, staying hydrated, and taking extra care of your tongue.
How can sour candy damage your teeth?
Sour candy can also harm the enamel on your teeth, which is irreplaceable. The acids in the candy can weaken enamel, making teeth more susceptible to decay. Dentists recommend waiting 30 minutes to an hour before brushing your teeth after consuming sour candy to avoid brushing away weakened enamel.
What can I do to cure a burnt tongue from sour candy?
If you’ve eaten too much sour candy and damaged your tongue or mouth, there are several remedies you can try:
Consume dairy products to coat and soothe irritated skin.
Suck on ice or popsicles to reduce the burning sensation and help with healing.
Coat the burnt area with sugar or honey to alleviate pain.
Use over-the-counter mouth gel for numbing if the pain is severe.
To prevent tongue burns from sour candy, avoid letting the candy rest on your tongue for too long, move it around, and drink water in between pieces to minimize acid damage. Enjoying sour candy in moderation and taking these precautions can help you avoid discomfort while still indulging in your favorite tart treats.
Sam Henselijn Author’s Biography – Meet L’Orenta Nuts CEO
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