The Truth About Food (Dyes)
(CBS/John Filo)
One of the most common ingredients in the food we eat isn't even a food. It's food dye.
Food dyes are synthetic chemicals and you've seen them on many an ingredient list. They've got names like "Red 40" and "Blue 2." Without them, your cheesy macaroni might not be yellow and your fruit punch might not be red. Thousands of grocery store items contain artificial food dyes. We even spotted a package of "100% Real" potato au gratin today that gets its golden hue from 100 percent real "Yellow 5 Lake" and "Yellow 6 Lake."
There have been a lot of studies on the effects of artificial food dyes on children, dating back to the 1970s. Some showed that food dyes could cause behavioral problems in children, and others didn't. But a few years ago, an analysis of 21 of the most conclusive studies found compelling evidence that, indeed, artificial dyes could contribute to hyperactivity, restlessness, and attention problems in some children – particularly those with ADHD. What's more, the studies suggested that removing dyes from those children's diet was a quarter to half as effective in reducing those symptoms as giving the kids Ritalin or other stimulants. In other words, certain kids with ADHD might not need drugs if the artificial dyes were removed from their diets.
Kids like color; thus artificial dyes are most prevalent in products that appeal to children – such as snack foods and cereals. Parents who want to avoid artificial dyes can find it's a complicated process requiring careful examination of each ingredient label. One brand of tortilla chip may contain two dyes while the brand sitting right next to it contains none. Just because a food item is white or pale-colored is no guarantee is does not contain dyes. Trader Joe's and Whole Foods claim the products they sell contain no artificial dyes, but not every shopper has access to those chains. And of course, restaurants don't post ingredient lists on their menus!
The FDA continues to maintain that artificial dyes are safe, citing numerous studies that found no ill effects. But today the Center for Science in the Public Interest called on the FDA to ban eight of the most common artificial dyes, or at least affix a warning label to products that contain them: "Warning: The artificial coloring in this food causes hyperactivity and behavioral problems in some children."
For the poster who is incredulous that food dye can cause any problem, I will point out that the dyes are chemically similar to drugs but have never been tested for safety the way drugs are tested. Even the "safest" of drugs has side effects for some people, and you would not consider putting them in your food ... would you?
Have you been listening (reading?)
My children are very well behaved - polite, respectful, obedient, straigh A students - until 2 minutes after they''ve eaten food dyes. Then they CANNOT control themselves. And I know what they''re going through because I have the same reactions. It feels like a I have a dragon in my chest, ready to leap out and devour anyone who crosses me - and I only get that feeling when I''m having a food reaction.
To those who say just cook from scratch - I do, but let''s think about this: how many single moms, who are doing their best to raise their children, working 40-50 hrs a week, don''t know better and grab a quick "meal" from the store. This "meal" is short on nutrition and high in additives. Who gets to pay for the children''s asthma and add treatments. Well, since they''re on Medicaid, we all do.
The result was startling. The inappropriate reactions stopped immediately, and her life returned to normal. After charting her food, we discovered that she had a severe sensitivity to Red 2 and Yellow 5. As long as these dyes weren''t in her food, she was fine. The doctors said it was a coincidence. Of course they didn''t like it, it wouldn''t generate office calls if it was just a food allergy/sensitivity.
I listened to Dr. Schneider say that "the problem is subtle in a small number of kids." I would like to say that, as a parent of an affected child, this isn''t a minor problem. It is life altering. We have a rapidly increasing number of children being diagnosed ADHD and medicated for what MAY BE a food allergy.
Dyes are in everything: white cake, spaghetti sauce, virtually all candy, even chocolate. Eliminating all of them is very difficult, but it is worth the effort for many children.
In my family, the reactions are health related (migranes, asthma) as well as behavioral (rage, insomnia, adhd). Living dye-free is tough, but well worth it.
- by knitwit5 June 3, 2008 10:40 PM EDT
- Thank you, thank you for this report. When my son was 3 he had frequent fevers and vomiting. Fever at 101, gave him Tylenol and the fever would spike to 104. Multiple medical tests had no explanation. The Dr. was convinced it was hepatitis. Test negative.
- Reply to this comment
See all 17 CommentsI suddenly realized his illness was caused by RED drinks. When I gave him chewable Tylenol, it added more red 40 and made the fever spike. A few years later he began to react to yellow also.
This stuff really is dangerous!