Smart Sweets is a low-sugar candy brand that positions itself as a healthier option than regular candy. The brand advertises that their products are free of added sugar and artificial sweeteners, naturally colored and free from common allergens.
But does Smart Sweets actually use healthier sweeteners? Does it contain any unhealthy additives? What was our honest experience purchasing and testing different flavors? And is Smart Sweets healthier than regular candy like Skittles?
In this article we'll answer all of these questions and more, as we analyze the ingredients in Smart Sweets to give our take on whether or not it's actually healthy.
We'll also share our experience purchasing and testing the brand ourselves, and compare the healthiness of Smart Sweets to Skittles.
Key takeaways:
- Sweetened with naturally-derived sugar alternatives
- We consider Smart Sweets to be healthier than traditional candy
- We don't currently recommend Smart Sweets overall
Sweetener Ingredient Analysis
The ingredients in Smart Sweets Sourmelon Bites are shown below:
image source: https://smartsweets.com/
Smart Sweets uses three newer-generation sweeteners: alluolose, isomalto-ogliosaccharides and stevia leaf extract.
Allulose is a type of sugar which was shown in a 2015 medical review to slow the progression of type 2 diabetes and reduce blood sugar spikes after meals.
This is the opposite effect of glucose (table sugar).
Another medical review published in the Frontiers in Bioengineering and Biotechnology journal described allulose as a “high value food ingredient” due to its ability to improve the body’s insulin resistance and due to its antioxidant status.
Isomalto-oligosaccharides is a sweetener derived from starch which has a prebiotic effect.
A medical review published in the Nutrition journal found that this ingredient improved the gut microbiome and cholesterol levels in elderly patients.
Stevia leaf extract is a natural sweetener derived from the stevia plant, and as we documented in our review of healthy soda brand Zevia, may actually have favorable effects on blood sugar and insulin levels based on clinical studies.
We consider all three of these ingredients to be healthier choices for a candy product than refined sugar.
We Tested Smart Sweets
As the author of this article, I wanted to purchase Smart Sweets and try it myself:
I'm not a big candy eater at all, but I was very pleasantly surprised by how good these candies tasted.
I expected some sort of weird artificial taste, but they tasted just as good as regular candy, and if someone had just handed me the candy without the packaging, I wouldn't have guessed it was a healthier alternative.
I tried the gummy worms and the Sourmelon Bites and liked both.
Overall, I rate Smart Sweets 9 out of 10, and will definitely purchase from this brand again, instead of regular candy, if I have a craving for sweets in the future.
Is Smart Sweets Unhealthy?
Smart Sweets contains two ingredients that we generally recommend avoiding.
Citric acid is a preservative and flavor enhancer that was originally sourced from citrus fruits, but is now commercially manufactured from a type of fungus according to medical research.
The above-linked study details how in some patients, citric acid may cause whole-body inflammatory reactions.
Natural flavors is a broad and poorly-regulated term in our opinion.
As we referenced in our review of another food brand which contains this ingredient called JUST Egg, there is medical evidence that some natural flavoring agents and their metabolites may have toxic effects.
In the context of a candy product, these types of additive, flavoring ingredients are to be expected.
So Smart Sweets may be mildly unhealthy, but it's considerably healthier than the average candy product.
Smart Sweets vs. Skittles
To compare the healthiness of Smart Sweets to a traditional candy brand, check out the ingredient list below of Skittles Original.
image source: https://www.skittles.com/
Sugar and corn syrup are used to sweeten Skittles, which has 84 grams (g) of sugar in a four ounce bag.
Processed sugar intake is associated with a range of negative health outcomes in medical research, including increased risk of diabetes, obesity and cardiovascular disease.
Most Smart Sweets products contain under 4 g of sugar.
Red 40 Lake and Yellow 5 Lake are two of the nine different artificial coloring agents in Skittles.
As we documented in our review on is Gatorade Zero good for you, there is clinical research suggesting that all artificial food dyes may be carcinogenic (cancer-causing) and genotoxic (DNA-damaging).
Smart Sweets are naturally colored with whole food ingredients like fruit and vegetable juice and spirulina extract.
Titanium dioxide is banned in the European Union (E.U.) for use as a food additive over genotoxicity concerns.
Smart Sweets has no additive ingredients that are banned in any jurisdiction over health concerns.
We consider Smart Sweets to be significantly healthier than Skittles, and healthier than all traditional candy brands.
Smart Sweets Pros and Cons
Pros
- Lower sugar than candy
- Natural coloring agents
- Healthy sugar substitutes
- Healthier than traditional candy brands
- We tested it and loved the taste
- We tested it and prefer it to traditional candy
Cons
- Two (mildly) unhealthy flavoring ingredients
