Dr. Becky Maes - Is It Bad For You? Approved by Dr. Becky Maes

Are Snickers Bad For You?


Grade

D-


Short answer

Unless you have a dairy or lactose allergy, a Snickers on occasion won’t hurt you, but be aware that they contain common allergens and saturated fats. If you have an existing heart condition or high cholesterol, you should avoid saturated fats.

Grade

D-

Recommended Alternative


Long answer

A regular Snickers bar contains 250 calories, 110 of which are from fat. One Snickers bar also has 23% of the daily value of saturated fats.

Snickers contain the following ingredients that can negatively affect your body: soy lecithin, partially hydrogenate soybean oil, dairy, sugar, and palm oil. They also contain some known common allergens including peanuts, eggs, dairy and soy.

Soy lecithin is extracted from the soy plant with the use of hexane. Hexane and soy are both common allergens. Consumed in large amounts soy and soy products have an estrogen-like effect on the body which can alter a woman menstrual cycle and cause other fertility issues.

Partially hydrogenated soybean oil - aside from carrying the problems associated with soy itself - is also a trans fat. High levels of trans fats in your diet can lead to heart disease, diabetes, fertility issues, degenerative diseases, and cancer. They also raise your LDL or bad cholesterol and can cause your body to less effectively use omega-3s.

Snickers contain dairy, lactose, and sugar which all act on the body in a way that can increase inflammation in the gut and immune system. When inflammation begins in the gut, the bacteria that lives there (which helps us digest and absorb nutrients) gets thrown off. Candida that naturally lives in the gut and other bad bacteria can begin to take over which effects the body as a whole in a number of ways. Dairy and lactose are also common allergies.

Palm oil is very high in saturated fats. This type of fat, although OK in moderate amounts, has been linked to chronic disease such as cardiovascular disease. Unfortunately, it is relatively hard to avoid palm oil as it is used in various candy bars, toothpaste and oh, yeah, sometimes it is just labeled as vegetable oil.

A positive ingredient, as long as you are not allergic to it, is peanuts. Peanuts are a monounsaturated fat (the healthy kind of fat) that works to protect your heart. Peanuts are also a good source of vitamin E, niacin and folate and they also count as protein! It’s not likely that the peanuts contained in Snickers are going to balance out all of the other bad ingredients, though. So, a handful of peanuts – good, peanuts in a Snickers – not as good.


Possible short-term side effects

  • allergic reaction
  • inflammation
  • burst of energy, possibly followed by a sugar crash

Possible long-term side effects

  • gut dysbiosis
  • fertility issues
  • changes in a woman’s menstrual cycle
  • cardiovascular disease
  • diabetes

Ingredients to be aware of


Our Wellness Pick (what is this?)

Clif Bar Chocolate Brownie

  • Organic oats included
  • Non-GMO
  • Plant-based energy
  • Convenient snack
  • Delicious brownie flavor
Learn More!



Thank you for your feedback!

Written by Kristin Brown, DC, MS
Published on: 07-02-2016
Last updated: 12-15-2023

Thank you for your feedback!

Written by Kristin Brown, DC, MS
Published on: 07-02-2016
Last updated: 12-15-2023




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