Easter 2019 has come and gone. Celebrated by billions around the world for its religious significance, Easter also celebrates family and springtime. For kids, this holiday represents another opportunity for tons of CANDY. Now, I understand that seeking sugar is the number one priority of a child (and most adults) and I hate to rain on your Easter parade.

But inside this box with the cute little Easter bunny sits something very sinister (good candy options below). 

Most parents will grab this combo and not think much of it. Sadly, those are the same parents whose kids are sick all the time with a snotty nose and trouble paying attention in class. The same kids who wind up on pharmaceuticals from their pediatrician. 

Frankly, I could bash any one of hundreds of kids candies. But today, it is Pez that will feel my wrath. I would tell you to keep the toy and throw out the Pez, but no child really cares about the dispenser once the candy is gone. 

Check out the ingredients in this garbage:

1. Sugar- soaked in glyphosate and other pesticides
2. Corn syrup
3. Adipic acid
4. Hydrog. palm kernel & palm oils. (Hydrog. is an abbreviation for hydrogenated so the average person will not identify this trans-fat which is a well-known cause of heart disease, brain disease, and cancer.
5. Soybean oil
6. Natural and artificial flavors
7. Artificial colors FD&C Red 3, Yellow 5, Yellow 6, and Blue 2

The manufacturer does let us know that Pez is nut and gluten-free. Phew, now I feel better. 

Here are some startling facts regarding these ingredients:

1. Sugar- destroys teeth, increases infection, causes cancer, dementia and heart disease (to name only a few conditions)
2. Corn syrup- more sugar, but this time, from a GMO corn source
3. Adipic acid- skin irritant that also causes cancer in rats, according to Ullman’s Textbook of Industrial Chemistry. So kids can eat Pez, but should not put it on their skin. 

Wait, there is more about adipic acid….it is used in the production of nylon, plastic, and PVC materials like water pipes. 

Insanity

If you don’t inject the chemically-riddled hepatitis B vaccine into your newborn, someone wants to call Child Protective Services. Yet, that same person is dumping Pez down their children’s throat after their artificial fast food meal and a day at the beach covered with cancer-causing sunscreen. 

4. Hydrogenated oils- As above, a disease causing trans-fat. Trans-fat consumption leads to a higher risk of dying, dementia, and cancer.

Oh, as a cardiologist, I want to point out that hydrogenated oils are linked to death from heart disease. 

Partially hydrogenated oils, also known as trans fat, are found in many baked goods, snack foods, fast foods, margarines, and shortening. Partially hydrogenated oil is vegetable oil that has been modified to be solid at room temperature and lengthens the shelf life of products in which it is used.

Heart disease starts when we are young, stop feeding kids poison. 

Higher levels of trans fats in children are linked to neurological disorders. 

Are you an expecting mother looking to have a large baby and require a c-section? Eat the hydrogenated oils in Pez. 

5. Soybean oil- Extracted with hexane and loaded with the pesticide Round-Up. Round-Up destroys gut flora. Inhaled hexane is very bad news.  

In one study, infant girls fed soy formula had significantly more breast tissue at 2 years of age than those who were fed breast milk or dairy-based formula. Another study showed that girls fed soy formula were much more likely to go through puberty at a younger age.There is also evidence that soy formula during infancy can lead to a lengthening of the menstrual cycle and increased pain during menses in adulthood. 

A really horrifying fact is that the majority of the American diet is sourced from corn and soy. 

Whether it is soybean oil or hydrogenated oils, they interfere with the function of the cell membrane, the fence that surrounds every cell. This fence depends on a healthy omega-3 to omega 6 ratio to function properly. If your cell membrane is not functioning properly, your toast. Or, like a cracked egg in this story. 

6. Artificial colors and flavors. Nothing to see here. Perfectly safe. Except for behavioral problems and ADHD. Sadly, we have known about this since the 1970’s. Artificial colors leads to inflammation and immune reactivity. Hello heart disease, dementia, allergies, etc. 

Artificial colors are not safe on your child’s skin, let alone when ingested. 

The actual artificial flavors are not specifically mentioned. Could they be MSG, aspartame, acesulfame? More neurotoxins to destroy your child’s health. 

Time to wake up

Candy manufacturers do not have your children’s health in mind. They are all about profit. And nothing says profit more than cheap ingredients in a pretty little package.

Think twice and don’t be an April Fool. 

Check out these alternative treats for your kids on Easter and any other occasion. 

1. Organic, dried bananas
2. Organic jelly beans
3. Organic chocolate peanut butter cups