“Sour candy for panic attacks? I learned this one from one of my clients.” This was voiced in a video posted on TikTok by Micheline Maalouf (@micheline.maalouf), a therapist who shares her tools and mental health knowledge with her online following.
You may have come across this seemingly easy trick on social media. Content creators are letting the world know that Warheads, Sour Patch Kids and other sour candies alleviate their feelings of anxiety and other negative emotions. Simply pop your favorite sour sweet into your mouth and see for yourself.
Now you may be wondering, “Is this simple home remedy the cure to all of my anxious thoughts?” This is where VALLEY is here to help. We’ve investigated this latest claim to find out and report whether the sour candy cure is a myth or fact.
The Science
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According to health.com, eating sour candy is a distraction technique, which is a method to “temporarily redirect your focus from one thing to another.” Munching on candy “shifts the brain’s attention from sensations of fear, anxiety, and overwhelm to the vivid, assertive flavor in the mouth.”
“Sour candy shifts our attention quickly to the sense of taste, intensely, which in turn dampens our amygdala (the feeling part of the brain) and gives us better access to our frontal cerebral cortex (the thinking part of our brain).”
–Toya Roberson-Moore, MD, Associate Medical Director and Psychiatrist at Pathlight Mood & Anxiety Center
From here, the cerebral cortex sends a message to the amygdala that “a person is not in actual danger.”
Simply put, this means that when you find yourself starting to slip into an anxious spiral, chewing on a piece of sour candy can pull you back to the present and ground you through its strong taste.
Benefits
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According to Medical News Today, additional benefits of sour candy are that it is “easy to carry and have on hand for any anxious situations” and “does not involve medication and related side effects.”
The article also states that it’s easy to discreetly pop a piece of candy into your mouth during moments of panic, and it may provide fast relief.
Drawbacks
Medical News Today notes that it’s important to remember that although many people claim the sour candy method to be effective, more scientific research is needed to confirm this. However, focusing on the other senses during moments of panic or anxiety can help calm the mind and return to the present.
The article continues to explain some risks of using sour candy for anxiety. For example, the candy consumed “may have a high sugar content, as well as containing additives and other ingredients that may not be beneficial for health in large quantities.”
It is also noted that using sour candy is a short-term solution and does not address the root cause of the anxiety. Other treatments may be more effective and should be sought out if the anxiety persists.
Other Solutions
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If sour candy isn’t your thing, there are other home remedies to help with anxiety. Healthline lists some natural strategies for anxiety relief. One of these is staying active. Whether it’s going for a walk or taking a fun class with your roommates, working out “enhances concentration and willpower, which may improve anxiety symptoms.”
Other suggested methods are meditation, deep breathing exercises, aromatherapy and drinking chamomile tea. Experimentation with these different strategies can help to discover what works best for you in moments of anxiety or stress.
While more research is needed to scientifically confirm that sour candy lessens anxiety, VALLEY can report that it may be a temporary fix for moments of panic.
What do you think of the sour candy strategy? Let us know on X, @VALLEYmag.
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