Gummy Clusters are the most recent launch from the popular Nerds candy brand, and they're currently one of the most popular candies in the US. The brand describes this product as "A candy so tasty, there aren't even words."

But what's actually in Nerds Gummy Clusters? Are they unhealthy? Do they contain any questionable additives? And how does their healthiness compare to other popular candies?

In this article we'll answer all of these questions and more, as we analyze the ingredients in Nerds Gummy Clusters to give our take on whether they're unhealthy or not.

Ingredient Analysis

The ingredients in Nerds Gummy Clusters are shown above.

We consider the majority of ingredients in this candy to be unhealthy.

Corn syrup and sugar are refined forms of added sugar, and added sugar intake is clinically associated with increased risk of obesity.

One box of Nerds Gummy Clusters contains 99 grams (g) of added sugar, which is 198% of the Daily Value (DV).

Citric acid is a preservative and flavor enhancer that's clinically shown to cause whole-body inflammation in some individuals, as we documented in our review of gummy brand Gruns.

Blue 1 is one of eight artificial food dyes in this candy, and artificial food dyes "may contribute significantly" to ADHD in children, according to a medical review published in the Neurotherapeutics journal.

Natural and artificial flavors are used as flavoring agents, and artificial flavors were shown in a 2018 clinical trial to be toxic to animals.

This candy, like many candy brands, provides essentially zero nutritional value while containing a host of "processed" food ingredients with questionable health effects.

Overall, we consider Nerds Gummy Clusters to be clearly unhealthy.

Nerds vs. the Competition

Here's how Nerds Gummy Clusters compares to other popular candies in terms of healthiness in our opinion:

Starburst

Contains partially hydrogenated oil which contains trans fats. A medical review published in the Atherosclerosis journal concluded that "Trans fat should be banned from the food supply" due to its negative effects on arterial cells.

Verdict: Nerds is healthier

Reese's

Contains a few questionable ingredients, but free from artificial flavors and artificial dyes.

Chocolate (even milk chocolate) may have health benefits due to the proven benefits of cocoa for the cardiovascular system.

Verdict: Reese's is healthier

Skittles

Very similar ingredient list to Starburst. Contains partially hydrogenated oil, and many of the same questionable additives as in Nerds Gummy Clusters.

Verdict: Nerds is healthier

How to Make Healthy Candies at Home

A YouTube creator named "Rockin Robin Cooks" has a video showing how to make healthy gummy candies at home:

Conclusion

We consider Nerds Gummy Clusters to be unhealthy.

Like most gummy candy, the brand uses ingredients like refined, added sugar, citric acid, artificial food dye and artificial colors, all of which have been shown in some clinical trials to be unhealthy.

Allowing children to eat artificial dyes is particularly questionable, given the link between such consumption and ADHD.

We consider Nerds Gummy Clusters to be healthier than Starburst and Skittles, but less healthy than Reese's.

Generally speaking, we consider chocolate candy to be healthier than gummy/sour candy, because cocoa contains antioxidants, and chocolate candy is often free of artificial flavors and artificial dyes.

In this article, we featured a video containing a tutorial on making healthy gummy candy at home.