Our
Kids and the Dangers of Food Additives
There remains a constant controversy over the
effects of food additives on our children.
It has long been assumed that Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
(ADHD) is (at least) affected by food additives. Because these food additives are usually used
in combinations, it is difficult to prove a single source of danger. However, in the past few years, studies have
shown that although ADHD is probably not caused by food additives, it is
definitely a cause of aggravated symptoms.
The preservative, sodium benzoate as well as food colorings, Yellow #6,
Yellow #5, Red #40, Red #3, Orange B, Green #3, Blue #2, and Blue #1, are
thought to be among those culprits.
A study carried
out by the University of Southampton (Southampton, U.K.) and published in the
journal The Lancet, tested three groups of approximately 300 children ages 3, 8, and 9 years old.
The children were given drinks with different amounts of artificial food
coloring and sodium benzoate (as compared to drinks of pure fruit juice), and
their behavior was tracked over a six week period. During that time, the children did not
consume any other foods containing these additives. The study showed significant behavioral
changes that included over-activity, inattention, and impulsivity in those
children that ingested in the drinks with the additives. Because the additives were added in
combination, individual additives weren’t blamed for the behavioral changes,
but it was evident that the children had been affected.
After this study
was published the American Academy of Pediatricians finally came to the
agreement that removing these additives from the diets of children that had
been diagnosed with ADHD could be an effective treatment. Not all children react to these additives in
the same manner or with the same intensity.
Each case (as with any medical intervention) should be treated
individually. “For the child without a
medical, emotional, or environmental etiology of ADHD behaviors, a trial of a
preservative-free, food coloring-free diet is a reasonable intervention".
On a personal
note, as a mother, I discovered this type of reaction when I offered a single
“red vine” (a licorice stick) to my then 2-1/2 year old daughter while we were
at the drive-in theatre one evening.
Within a short period of time, my normally calm child was literally bouncing
off the walls of the car. She was
jumping up and down and going crazy. She
was screaming and running around. It
scared me to death! She settled down
after about 30 minutes (as I remember).
I called my pediatrician first thing the following morning. When questioned as to what I had fed her, he
told me that my little girl had reacted to the red food dye in the licorice
stick. That was about 28 years ago. I know that red food dye, in particular, has
been changed since then. That being
said, I still see two red food colorings on the list of potential
culprits! I was privy to a firsthand
accounting of this type of reaction several times over the years as I raised my
daughters. My husband and I adopted a
little girl about 15 years ago. She had
several challenges of her own, but the first thing we noticed about her was her
severe hyperactivity. As a young child,
she only required about 4-5 hours of sleep at night. She woke with the sun, and never walked anywhere! She was perpetual motion, with one speed –
fast! Regarding food and drink, it didn’t take us long to realize we had to
monitor this extremely closely. She
could not handle any level of processed sugar.
I learned to read labels and purchase products with all natural ingredients. Sometimes, even though my efforts were great,
preservatives and such would sneak into her diet. Our FDA does not require everything be
labeled with 100% of its ingredients in it!
I cannot imagine why this is so, but it is.
Other foods can be
detrimental to kid’s behavior. “A study
published in the European Journal of Pediatrics in 1997 found that children
with ADHD had changes in brain waves after being fed certain foods - about half
reacted to sugar, with a smaller percentage of reactions being shown to
artificial colors, wheat and milk” .
Although government agencies still conclude that a diet where refined
sugar, food coloring, and other preservatives are limited doesn’t really help
most children with ADHD, most Moms would definitely disagree. Kids without ADHD become hyper after eating
the sweet treats from the pantry.
Children whose diets are often subsidized with sugary drinks, baked
goods, and processed foods have a slew of health issues ranging from
hyperactivity to obesity. They suffer
from mental and emotional disorders.
They suffer from chronic illness. “Dr. David Dugger, a pediatrician in Gautier,
Mississippi, who specializes in treating ADD/ADHD, admits that studies haven't
proven a link between sugar and hyperactivity, but he says poor nutrition can
definitely lead to behavioral problems”.
Dr. William Sears (known as "America's Pediatrician") and
Lydia Thompson, authors of The ADD Book, say that while most studies have shown
diet has little effect on ADD, "Try explaining this to a mother whose
child goes wild after eating a Twinkie. As parents and professionals, we
certainly believe in the food-mood connection in some children. Even though in
the majority of cases children's diet is not the cause of the behavioral
problem, it can certainly contribute to it.".
The bottom line
is this: As parents, it is our
responsibility to ensure the good health of our children. We cannot sit around and wait for the Government
to dictate to us what is healthy and what is not. Each of our children is a special individual
with unique needs. All children require
healthy nutrition to grow up strong and healthy. We should take the responsibility to reduce,
if not eliminate, the toxins in our children’s diets. If our child reacts badly to sugar – don’t
feed them sugar! If it is artificial –
it’s probably not good for them! If it’s
loaded with artificial food colorings and preservatives, it doesn’t count as
nutrition and is not needed by our children.
The once in awhile sweet treat is great, but if that Twinkie makes your
child bounce off the walls – don’t put it in their school lunch!
