« Dance of a Lifetime | Home | Are Video Games the Solution to Childhood Obesity? »
Food Dyes May Affect Kids
By Christina Quick | April 14, 2008
Are artificial colors making kids hyper? That’s the opinion of Britain’s Food Standards Agency, which last week called on the European Union to ban many of the same additives that are widely used in the United States.
The recommendation was based on a British study that found a link between hyperactivity in children and common food additives, such as dyes and the preservative sodium benzoate.
Artificial colors — with names like FD&C Yellow No. 6 or tartrazine — are hard for families to avoid. They’re found in everything from ice cream and cereal to chewable vitamins and cough syrup. They can lurk in seemingly healthy foods, such as canned fruit or yogurt. Incredibly, these chemicals are sometimes even sprayed on fresh produce to make them look nicer.
So what is this stuff our kids are eating by the fistful? I did some research, and believe it or not, much of it comes from petroleum and coal tar! I realize many health-conscious parents have been aware of this for years, but it was news to me. According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration Web site, “certifiable color additives are man-made, derived primarily from petroleum and coal sources.”
I wonder how many parents would knowingly feed their children industrial byproducts. I also wonder what other health effects, besides hyperactivity, these additives may be causing.
What concerns you most about today’s foods? The high prices? Chemical pesticides? Preservatives and artificial colors? Fat and calorie content?
Topics: Health |
April 23rd, 2008 at 12:58 pm
I can personally give testimony to the effects of red food dye #40 on a child. My son was diagnosed with ADHD at age 5 but his dad and I knew long before that. We first took him off foods with red dye #40 and chocolate when he was 4 years old. The difference we saw in our son was amazing. Since that time we have read articles that say there is no such thing as red food dye allergies. Well, I’d like for those researchers to see what happens to my son when he is given Tylenol that isn’t dye free or a Hershey’s kiss.
April 29th, 2008 at 3:37 am
Happily there are thousands of yummy foods that do not have petroleum-based dyes. The non-profit Feingold Association has been locating and researching brand name foods since 1976. See www.feingold.org for details. Today, there are so many foods of all types available, you should not have to give up any of your favorite things.