Parents have long suspected a link between common food additives and colorings in food and their children’s behavior.
Years ago, when I ran a daycare (talk about hard work!), we had a young boy who was on a restricted diet – no sugar, no chemical additives. He was ordinarily a well-behaved youngster unless he ate food with food coloring, sugar or preservatives. His mom chose to restrict his diet rather than put him on medication. If he ate something he shouldn’t, Katie bar the door! And evey parent knows the effect of the sugar rush that accompanies Halloween.
A study, financed by Britain’s Food Standards Agency and published in the British medical journal The Lancet, concluded that artificial colours or a sodium benzoate preservative (or both) in the diet results in increased hyperactivity in 3-year-old and 8/9-year-old children in the general population, not just those diagnosed as hyperactive.
Of course, reaction is cautious, as one specialist indicated that the behavioral changes might not be enough to warrant ostracizing your child because he/she cannot eat the same foods as their friends. What? I guess this same specialist hasn’t been up lately trying to get his hopped up child to bed.
Perhaps it is time for parents to choose healthful, natural foods for their children. We can’t medicate our children if they are simply over active nor bemoan the obesity epidemic in our children and then turn around and say don’t be too hasty about changing our children’s diets because we’re afraid to be different!
Resources:
- New York Times Some Food Additives Raise Hyperactivity, Study Finds
- Lancet Food additives and hyperactive behaviour in 3-year-old and 8/9-year-old children in the community: a randomised, double-blinded, placebo-controlled trial
- Time Overweight Children: Living Large
- U.S.D.A. How Safe are color Additives?
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Welcome to Verda Vivo. My name is Daryl Warner Laux.
Thanks for the information on food additives. If some children already show a difference in behavior (as your story stated) then I wonder if it will be banned to use in foods anymore?
We recently wrote an article on a recent study that showed that certain food additives can could cause hyperactivity at Brain Blogger. The recent study that was conducted by the EFSA that food additives was an interesting one. But will doctors take that into consideration when treating a patient? Will they just prescribe a drug and be done with it?
We would like to read your comments on our article. Thank you.
Sincerely,
Kelly
Hurrah! It’s great to find others who believe the truth. My son and my husband are sensitive to food additives. Even when the label says ALL NATURAL, there are additives hiding in the list somewhere.
I wrote an article on at diet and behavior
Penny, I’m so glad you found a natural solution for your child. And I love the fact that his name is Angel. Your article is great, thanks for the link. I think there are many things in prepared food that is neither natural nor healthy. Our answer is to prescribe a pill rather than find out the underlying cause. Keep spreading the word about food additives! ~ Daryl