Facts

Risks of Artificial Food Dyes

Artificial dyes are linked to neurological issues in the growing brains of children as well as a suspected risk of cancer

What are food dyes?

Artificial food dyes are synthetic chemicals added to food and beverages to give them color. They have zero nutritional value and many of these dyes have been banned in the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, China and Japan due to there proven negative affects on children's health.

What are they in?

AFD is in 43.2% of all food marketed towards children. Look on the back of any brightly colored food and you are likely to see these dyes lurking on your child's plate. They're in common foods snack foods, frozen foods, candy, cereals, cereal, dairy products etc. Some common brands with food dyes include skittles, fruitloops, kraft macaroni, hamburger helper, Jello, Doritos, and Pepsi .

View more common foods containing food dyes

Scientific Studies

Learn how dyes can harm your kids

Summary- This study investigates the effects of artificial food colorings (AFCs) on the behavior of children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
- It involves a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in which children with ADHD were administered AFCs to assess their impact on symptoms of hyperactivity and inattention.
- The study's results reveal a significant association between the consumption of AFCs and exacerbation of ADHD symptoms, providing evidence for the role of food colorings in influencing behavior in susceptible individuals.
- These findings have important implications for clinical practice and dietary interventions for children with ADHD, highlighting the potential benefits of avoiding artificial food colorings in managing symptoms.twist. It's easy to read on screens of every shape and size, and perfect for long blocks of text.

Summary- This study examines the association between maternal exposure to artificial food dyes during pregnancy and the risk of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in offspring.- It utilizes data from a large population-based cohort study to assess the potential impact of maternal dietary intake of food dyes on neurodevelopmental outcomes in children.- The findings suggest a positive association between maternal consumption of food dyes during pregnancy and the risk of ADHD in offspring, underscoring the importance of dietary factors in prenatal neurodevelopment and the need for further investigation into the potential health effects of food additives.

The study investigates the potential link between the rise in colorectal cancer (CRC) among young people and the consumption of ultra-processed foods, particularly those containing the synthetic food dye Allura Red AC (Red 40). Previous research suggests a connection between consuming ultra-processed foods and pro-inflammatory diets and the incidence of CRC. The study focuses on Red 40, which has become more prevalent in foods over the past 40 years, coinciding with the increase in early-onset colorectal cancer (EOCRC). Given the appeal of these foods to children, there is growing concern about the impact of synthetic food dyes on CRC development. The research aimed to explore the effects of Red 40 on DNA damage, the microbiome, and colonic inflammation. Despite limited prior research, the high human exposure to Red 40 warrants urgent investigation. The study findings indicate that Red 40 causes DNA damage both in laboratory settings and in live organisms. Additionally, consuming Red 40 alongside a high-fat diet for an extended period leads to dysbiosis (microbial imbalance) and low-grade colonic inflammation in mice. These results support the hypothesis that Red 40 is a harmful compound that disrupts key processes involved in EOCRC development.

More Studies-

1. McCann, Donna, et al. "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." The Lancet, vol. 370, no. 9598, 2007, pp. 1560-1567.

(https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(07)61306-3/fulltext

2. Bateman, Belinda, et al. "The effects of a double blind, placebo controlled, artificial food colourings and benzoate preservative challenge on hyperactivity in a general population sample of preschool children." Archives of Disease in Childhood, vol. 89, no. 6, 2004, pp. 506-511.

(https://adc.bmj.com/content/89/6/506)

3. Swanson, James M., et al. "Food dyes impair performance of hyperactive children on a laboratory learning test." Science, vol. 207, no. 4436, 1980, pp. 1485-1487.

(https://science.sciencemag.org/content/207/4436/1485)

4. Nigg, Joel T., et al. "Meta-analysis of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder or attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder symptoms, restriction diet, and synthetic food color additives." Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, vol. 52, no. 10,
2013, pp. 903-912.

(https://www.jaacap.org/article/S0890-8567(13)00178-7/fulltext)

5. Arnold, L. Eugene, et al. "Double-blind, placebo-controlled study of single-dose amphetamine formulations in ADHD." Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, vol. 53, no. 1, 2014, pp. 73-81.

(https://www.jaacap.org/article/S0890-8567(13)00862-9/fulltext)

These peer-reviewed sources provide valuable insights into the effects of artificial food dyes on children's behavior and neurodevelopment, supporting the concerns raised in the blog post.

Risks of Excess Sugar

The average American child consumes well over 3x the daily recommended sugar intake. Excess sugar is linked to cancer, obesity, asthma, and other serious chronic illnesses

Its worse than you think
On average, American children intake around 81 grams of sugar daily, totaling over 65 pounds of added sugar annually! Just from sweet beverages alone, kids are consuming more than 30 gallons of added sugars. To put it in perspective, that quantity could fill up an entire bathtub!

An Unhealthy Youth

Recent data shows that approximately 1 in 5 children and adolescents aged 2-19 are obese. This equates to around 19% of the youth population. Pediatric cancer, asthma, and other chronic illnesses are on the rise as our sugar intake has tripled in the past 4 decades.

Learn what you can do

Scientific Studies

Risks of Excess Sugar

linking sugar to cancer

The study examines the correlation between high sugar consumption and cancer, considering the significantly elevated levels of sugar intake in the United States compared to recommended guidelines from organizations like the World Health Organization, the American Cancer Society, and the American Heart Association. Both epidemiological and preclinical research indicate that excessive sugar intake can contribute to cancer development and progression, regardless of its association with obesity. Preclinical studies across various cancers demonstrate that diets high in sucrose or fructose activate multiple mechanistic pathways, including inflammation and metabolic pathways related to glucose and lipids. While human studies are somewhat limited, compelling evidence from both human and primate studies suggests a link between added sugar and metabolic syndrome, a known risk factor for cancer. The findings emphasize the need for human clinical trials to further investigate whether sugar consumption independently increases cancer risk and to explore the underlying mechanisms involved.

More Studies-

1. Lustig, Robert H., et al. "Public health: The toxic truth about sugar." Nature, vol. 482, no. 7383, 2012, pp. 27-29. [Link](https://www.nature.com/articles/482027a)

2. Malik, Vasanti S., et al. "Sugar-sweetened beverages, obesity, type 2 diabetes mellitus, and cardiovascular disease risk." Circulation, vol. 121, no. 11, 2010, pp. 1356-1364.

(https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/full/10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.109.876185)

3. Johnson, Richard J., et al. "Potential role of sugar (fructose) in the epidemic of hypertension, obesity and the metabolic syndrome, diabetes, kidney disease, and cardiovascular disease." The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, vol. 86, no. 4, 2007, pp. 899-906.

(https://academic.oup.com/ajcn/article/86/4/899/4649574)

4. Vos, Miriam B., et al. "Added sugars and cardiovascular disease risk in children: a scientific statement from the American Heart Association." Circulation, vol. 135, no. 19, 2017, pp. e1017-e1034.

(https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/full/10.1161/CIR.0000000000000439)

5. Te Morenga, Lisa, et al. "Dietary sugars and body weight: systematic review and meta-analyses of randomised controlled trials and cohort studies." BMJ, vol. 346, 2013, p. e7492.

(https://www.bmj.com/content/346/bmj.e7492)

6. Han, Yueh-Ying, et al. "A longitudinal study of childhood asthma and body mass index status." International Journal of Epidemiology, vol. 40, no. 1, 2011, pp. 140-150.

(https://academic.oup.com/ije/article/40/1/140/667604)

7. Black, Peter N., et al. "Risk factors for asthma at age seven years: a longitudinal study of 9,738 children." Pediatric Pulmonology, vol. 32, no. 6, 2001, pp. 422-427.

(https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/ppul.1120)

8. Mai, Elinor, et al. "Asthma prevalence in children living in northeastern and southern areas of the United States: urban-rural differences." Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, vol. 129, no. 3, 2012, pp. 721-723.

(https://www.jacionline.org/article/S0091-6749(11)02068-5/fulltext)

9. Lu, Qing‐Bin, et al. "Dietary glycemic index and glycemic load, and metabolic syndrome, in relation to risk of asthma in middle‐aged and elderly Chinese." Clinical and Experimental Allergy, vol. 41, no. 4, 2011, pp. 555-563.

(https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/j.1365-2222.2010.03691.x)

10. Mirmiran, Parvin, et al. "Association of dietary sugars and sugar-sweetened beverage intake with asthma in a US population-based study." Annals of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology, vol. 122, no. 3, 2019, pp. 318-319.

(https://www.annallergy.org/article/S1081-1206(18)31886-4/fulltext)

High Fructose Corn Syrup

Research shows that HFCS damages brain cell communication and increases toxic molecules, while long-term HFCS diets impair learning and memory. It also promotes obesity, metabolic syndrome, and diabetes, and disturbs liver function

What is it?
HFCS is a cheap and dangerous substitute for sugar. It is used widely throughout the US but is banned in much of Europe including Sweden. It is commonly included in children's food despite it terrifying and proven impacts on the brain which links HFCS with mental illness and issues with learning. If that isn't bad enough, its physical implications are vast and include obesity, metabolic syndrome and liver problems

Where is it found

HFCS is lurking on so many common children's foods. Some of these foods include,

1. Candy
2. Soda
3. Breakfast cereals
4. Flavored yogurts
5. Fruit drinks and fruit-flavored beverages
6. Packaged snacks (cookies, granola bars, fruit snacks)
7. Sweetened fruit sauces (applesauce, fruit cups)
8. Breads and baked goods
9. Condiments such as ketchup and barbecue sauce.

Learn what you can do

1. Goran, Michael I., et al. "Fructose consumption: recent results and their potential implications." Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, vol. 1190, no. 1, 2010, pp. 15-24.

(https://nyaspubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/j.1749-6632.2009.05266.x)

2. Stanhope,

Kimber L., et al. "Consumption of fructose and high fructose corn syrup increase postprandial triglycerides, LDL-cholesterol, and apolipoprotein-B in young men and women." The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, vol. 96, no. 10, 2011, pp. E1596-E1605.

(https://academic.oup.com/jcem/article/96/10/E1596/2836406)

3. Lustig, Robert H. "Fructose: metabolic, hedonic, and societal parallels with ethanol." Journal of the American Dietetic Association, vol. 110, no. 9, 2010, pp. 1307-1321.

(https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20800122/)

4. Bray, George A., et al. "Consumption of high-fructose corn syrup in beverages may play a role in the epidemic of obesity." The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, vol. 79, no. 4, 2004, pp. 537-543.

(https://academic.oup.com/ajcn/article/79/4/537/4690226)

5. Tappy, Luc. "Fructose-containing caloric sweeteners as a cause of obesity and metabolic disorders." Journal of Experimental Biology, vol. 212, no. 4, 2009, pp. 140-146.

(https://jeb.biologists.org/content/212/4/140)

6. Malik, Vasanti S., et al. "Sugar-sweetened beverages and risk of metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes: a meta-analysis." Diabetes Care, vol. 33, no. 11, 2010, pp. 2477-2483.

(https://care.diabetesjournals.org/content/33/11/2477)

7. Basaranoglu, Metin, et al. "Free fatty acids and insulin resistance." Current Opinion in Endocrinology, Diabetes and Obesity, vol. 19, no. 3, 2012, pp. 235-241.

(https://journals.lww.com/co-endocrinology/Abstract/2012/06000/Free_fatty_acids_and_insulin_resistance.5.aspx)

8. Aeberli, Isabelle, et al. "The effect of fructose and glucose on intestinal absorption of calcium in adolescents." Osteoporosis International, vol. 23, no. 2, 2012, pp. 439-447.

(https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00198-011-1524-8)

9. Vos, Miriam B., et al. "Added sugars and cardiovascular disease risk in children: a scientific statement from the American Heart Association." Circulation, vol. 135, no. 19, 2017, pp. e1017-e1034.

(https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/full/10.1161/CIR.0000000000000439)

10. Goran, Michael I., et al. "Effects of fructose vs glucose on regional cerebral blood flow in brain regions involved with appetite and reward pathways." JAMA, vol. 309, no. 1, 2013, pp. 63-70.

(https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/article-abstract/1555133)

These peer-reviewed scholarly studies provide evidence of the negative health impact of high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) consumption on children, including risks of obesity, metabolic disorders, cardiovascular disease, and altered brain function. They support the concerns raised about the detrimental effects of HFCS on children's health.