Twizzlers aren’t the worst candy you could reach for, but they’re far from harmless. A standard serving of three pieces (34 grams) contains 120 calories, nearly 18 grams of sugar, zero fiber, and 129 milligrams of sodium. That’s a lot of sugar packed into what feels like a light snack, and most people eat well beyond three pieces in a sitting.
What’s Actually in a Twizzler
The ingredient list for classic Strawberry Twizzlers reads like a tour of highly processed staples: corn syrup, enriched wheat flour, sugar, cornstarch, palm oil, salt, natural and artificial flavors, mineral oil, artificial colors (Red 40 and Blue 1), and soy lecithin. The first three ingredients are all forms of sugar or refined carbohydrate, which tells you where most of the calories come from.
On the plus side, Twizzlers contain zero saturated fat per serving. That’s one reason they’ve long been marketed as a “low fat” candy. But low fat doesn’t mean low impact. The sugar and refined flour hit your bloodstream quickly, spiking blood glucose without any fiber, protein, or fat to slow things down. You get a brief energy bump followed by a crash, and very little nutritional value in return.
The Sugar Problem
Those 18 grams of sugar per three-piece serving add up fast. The American Heart Association recommends that women stay under 25 grams of added sugar per day and men under 36 grams. Eating just one serving of Twizzlers uses up roughly half to three-quarters of a woman’s daily sugar budget, or about half of a man’s. And realistically, three twists is a modest handful. If you’re eating six or nine pieces (easy to do with a full-size bag), you’re looking at 36 to 54 grams of sugar in one snack, blowing past daily limits entirely.
Consistently exceeding added sugar recommendations is linked to weight gain, increased risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and fatty liver disease. Twizzlers aren’t uniquely dangerous here. They’re just one more source of empty calories in a food environment already overloaded with added sugar.
Red 40 and Artificial Colors
Twizzlers get their bright red color from Red 40, the most widely used artificial food dye in the United States. This dye has come under increasing scrutiny. A 2023 study published in Toxicology Reports found that Red 40 caused DNA damage in both lab cells and in mice, even at doses equivalent to the FDA’s accepted daily intake. Mice that consumed Red 40 alongside a high-fat diet for 10 months developed low-grade inflammation in the colon, shifts in gut bacteria (with beneficial species declining and harmful ones increasing), and markers associated with DNA mutations.
These are animal studies, and the doses were sustained over months, so the results don’t translate directly to eating a few Twizzlers on movie night. But they do raise legitimate questions about regular, long-term exposure to Red 40, especially for people who consume it from multiple sources daily (cereals, sports drinks, sauces, other candies). Several European countries already require warning labels on foods containing Red 40, and some have restricted its use entirely.
Gluten and Allergen Concerns
Unlike most candy, Twizzlers contain enriched wheat flour as a primary ingredient. That makes them off-limits for anyone with celiac disease or a gluten sensitivity. No Twizzlers products are currently labeled gluten-free, and that includes every variety: Strawberry Twists, Pull ‘n’ Peel, Bites, and Nibs. The ingredient list also includes soy lecithin, which is relevant for people with soy allergies.
Black Licorice Carries Extra Risk
If you prefer Twizzlers Black Licorice over the strawberry version, there’s an additional concern. Black licorice contains glycyrrhizin, a compound from the licorice root that can cause your body to retain sodium and lose potassium. When potassium drops too low, it can trigger abnormal heart rhythms, muscle weakness, and dangerously high blood pressure.
The European Union’s Scientific Committee on Food set an upper limit of 100 milligrams of glycyrrhizin per day. That threshold is easier to exceed than you might think if you’re snacking on black licorice regularly. The risk is highest for people over 40 and anyone already taking medications for blood pressure or heart conditions. Occasional consumption is generally fine, but daily black licorice habits have landed people in emergency rooms with heart complications. The classic strawberry variety doesn’t contain meaningful amounts of licorice extract, so this concern is specific to the black version.
How Twizzlers Compare to Other Candy
Twizzlers occupy a middle ground in the candy world. They’re lower in fat and calories per serving than chocolate bars, gummy bears, or caramel-based candies. A fun-size Snickers bar has about 80 calories but also packs 4 grams of fat. A serving of Skittles has around 160 calories and 30 grams of sugar. By comparison, Twizzlers are lighter on both counts.
The trade-off is that Twizzlers offer nothing beneficial. Chocolate, for instance, contains small amounts of minerals and antioxidants. Twizzlers deliver pure refined carbohydrate with artificial color and flavor. They’re also uniquely easy to overeat because they feel insubstantial, like chewing on flavored rope rather than eating a rich treat. That perception of lightness often leads to consuming two or three times the listed serving size without realizing it.
The Bottom Line on Occasional vs. Regular Snacking
A few Twizzlers at the movies or as an occasional treat won’t meaningfully harm your health. The concerns stack up when Twizzlers become a regular habit: daily sugar intake creeps upward, you’re getting repeated exposure to artificial dyes, and you’re displacing snacks that could actually provide nutrients. If you find yourself reaching for them often, the simplest adjustment is portion awareness. Three pieces is the actual serving, and pre-portioning rather than eating from the bag makes a real difference in how much sugar you end up consuming.