Many of us are partial to a sweet treat every now and then. In fact, a poll by YouGov showed that four in ten Britons admit to eating sweets every day.
And a third of people (34 percent) said they munch on sweets a few times a week, while 14 percent eat them just a few times a month.
Although it is fine to enjoy sweets and chocolate in moderation, like everything, eating too much can be a problem for your health.
And of course, certain treats are worse for us than others meaning you have to exercise even more self control when tucking into a new pack.
With this in mind, a doctor spoke exclusively with Express.co.uk about the best, and worst, types of confectionery we could be eating for our health.
According to Doctor Deborah Lee, from the Dr Fox Online Pharmacy, the most unhealthy type of sweet are Jelly Babies.
A type of soft sugar jelly sweets that come in a variety of colours, they have been a popular confectionery in the UK for more than 100 years.
But although they are small, Dr Lee warns that they pack a punch when it comes to calories and sugar content.
Just four sweets contain around 87 calories and 20 grams of sugar.
Dr Lee said: “UK adults are recommended to eat no more than 30g of sugar per day, and for children aged seven to 10 years, no more than 24g of sugar in a day.
“Eating too much sugar is linked to weight gain, obesity, high blood pressure, heart disease, and fatty liver disease.
“In some people, a high-sugar diet has been shown to increase the risk of pancreatic cancer. Sugar in sweets is more dangerous for health than sugar in chocolate which washes off the teeth – the sugar in sweets sticks to the tooth surface and encourages tooth decay.”
She continued: “Jelly Babies have almost no nutritional value. They contain zero fat, and only 0.3g of protein per jelly baby. They contain one percent calcium and two percent potassium – but only a trace of salt and zero iron. They also contain zero dietary fibre.”
Dr Lee added that Jelly Babies have a high glycaemic index – 78 – around the highest GI index of any sweets or chocolates.
“After eating high GI foods, the pancreas has to produce a sudden surge of insulin, to cause the high glucose level to fall,” she said.
“If you constantly eat jelly babies, and continually stimulate the pancreas to produce more insulin, over time this creates health risks.”
Her warning was backed by Good To Know, which ranked Jelly Babies as the “unhealthiest” sweet overall due to their calorie and sugar levels. If you are experiencing a craving for confectionery though, the expert advised picking dark chocolate.
Dr Lee said: “This is healthy because dark chocolate is made from a natural product – a plant. The beans of the cacao tree. It is made from roasting and de-shelling cocoa beans. The remaining contents are then ground into a paste called cocoa paste.
“This contains large quantities of polyphenols – substances found in plants that have health benefits for humans. In general, the higher the cocoa content. the healthier it is.”
It is therefore best to choose dark chocolate made with 70-85 percent cocoa solids.
“Chocolate is a good source of iron,” she continued. “It also contains magnesium, copper, manganese, B2 and B6.
“The polyphenols in cocoa have a very powerful antioxidant effect. This is very important for good health.”
However, it is still a case of eating in moderation being key.
Dr Lee added: “In medical studies, only small amounts of dark chocolate are eaten every day – around 20-30g. This is around two to three large squares.
“Don’t overdo it – Dark chocolate is high in caffeine and contains theobromine – eating too much can cause headache, insomnia, feeling jittery, nausea and diarrhoea.
“It is also high in calories and does contain sugar so can contribute to weight gain if eaten in excess.”