Food Colours and Hyperactivity

A national watchdog in the UK has called for a ban on certain food colours which have been linked to hyperactivity in children. The Food Standards Agency Board is advising government ministers to call on manufacturers in the UK and across Europe to remove the six suspect E-number additives by the end of 2009.

Why? Because research done by Southampton University has linked hyperactivity in some children to certain common additives which are found in sweets, cakes and other products that kids like.

What is hyperactivity?

Hyperactivity affects around one child in 20 under the age of 12, and is more common in boys than girls. A child showing signs of hyperactivity might:

have difficulty in following simple instructions
tend to run off, or run into the road or other unsafe area without realising danger
interrupt other kids' play
rush or jump around without resting
cry, shout, lash out or throw tantrums
persistently misbehave, regardless of parents' attempts at discipline.

Which food colours should you avoid?

These are the ones to watch out for on food labels. Cutting them out of your child's diet could help reduce the hyperactive behaviour, so check labels carefully and avoid anything containing:

Sunset yellow (E110)
Quinoline yellow (E104)
Carmoisine (E122)
Allura red (E129)
Tartrazine (E102)
Ponceau 4R (E124)

Also consider removing products containing sodium benzoate, a preservative widely used in soft drinks which also featured in the Southampton University study.

None of these artificial colors and additives have any nutritional value, and the food colours are simply there to make foods look bright and attractive. Isn't it time we went for a more natural approach, and stopped feeding our kids - and ourselves - on these synthetic substances?