National Candy Day

November 4th was National Candy Day.

Whether it be chocolate bars, gummies, hard candies, sour sweets or anything in between, satisfy your sweet tooth to your heart’s content for National Candy Day on November 4th. Even those who say that they don’t particularly care for candy do indeed have at least one favorite. If you ask anyone about their favorite candy, you’ll see that light in their eyes as they sweetly reminisce all about the ‘good old days’. 

Can candy be good for your memory? 

Though candy is certainly not a health food, scientists at Harvard have found in some instances that candy can help revive memories! Often people have memories of their favorite sweets from childhood, and eating those same treats in later years can trigger happy memories. This is especially so for peppermint candies, because mint has a strong scent and flavor known to make you alert, which makes an impression on memory.

There is a part of the brain called the hippocampus (one in each hemisphere) that is critical for memory. The hippocampus has strong connections with parts of the brain that are important for emotion and for smell. This may explain why emotional memories can be so vivid or why certain smells trigger a sense of recall in us even before we consciously remember an event.

Emotion and smell no doubt contribute to the power of some food memories, but it is the hippocampus that has a more direct connection digestive system. Many of the hormones that regulate appetite, digestion, and eating also have receptors in the hippocampus. The hippocampus is the mechanism responsible for candy-related memories. 

Evolution could be the reason behind why childhood candy bars revoke memories from younger years. Our primate ancestors were fruit seekers and eaters, the sweetness of candy pushes a button in our brains—we have a natural sweet tooth. Upon eating a highly appealing sweet food, the reward centers of our brains are activated. The neurotransmitter dopamine has a key role in the brain biology of reward, but dopamine pathways are also involved in many other brain functions. One of these functions, via the hippocampus, is turning short term memories into long term ones. The brain’s reward mechanisms serve to motivate certain actions and behaviors. This would not work very well if motivation was not reinforced by memory.

Another connection between candy and memories is that for a child, candies and candy bars are often a special treat. This alone could make eating them a memorable experience. In addition, those candies can also be associated with special childhood occasions, such as candy canes at Christmas celebrations, chocolate eggs at Easter, or visiting a favorite aunt who always treated you with your favorite caramel candies. Neuroscience says that emotion and novelty tend to make events more memorable, and those tied in some way with food may make for even more powerful memories. 

Celebrate candy and happy childhood candy-related memories by enjoying sweets on National Candy Day! Private Home Care sends sweet wishes to you and yours!