In the mid-1970s, pediatric allergist Benjamin Feingold presented case data that suggested artificial colors and preservatives in food can cause hyperactivity in some children. Since then, studies have examined the effect of additives on children's behavior with mixed results. Skeptics and detractors have questioned the size of the effects and the age range of children who might be affected. Despite decades of controversy, mounting evidence suggests that food dyes can contribute to hyperactivity symptoms in some children.
Dyes and Hyperactivity
A carefully designed study published in 2007 by "The Lancet" spawned support for the contention that food dyes can contribute to hyperactivity. This study found that artificial colors, a sodium benzoate preservative---or both---caused increased hyperactivity in 3-year-olds and in 8- and 9-year-olds in the general population. Some studies, such as reported at the National Institutes of Health, suggest that food dyes affect only children with diagnoses of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). For example, a 1994 study published in the "Annals of Allergy" found that nearly 75 percent of the ADHD children in the study responded positively to having artificial food coloring eliminated from their diet.
Food Dye Intolerance
Though sometimes referred to as allergic reactions, responses to food dye are not technically allergic, but rather are due to intolerance. You can think of the response as more like a side effect to medication than like a response to pollen. Yellow food dye #5 and blue food dyes have been found to elicit intolerance reactions such as hyperactivity, sleep disturbance and irritability, according to "AllergicChild.com."
Institutional and Government Reactions
ABC News reports that in response to the growing body of research that indicates a relation between food dyes and hyperactivity, the British government started pressuring food companies to switch to natural food colors. As a result, McDonald's in London sells strawberry shakes that get their red color from real strawberries, whereas in the United States, sundaes are red primarily from Red Dye #40. Similarly, Starburst Chews, M&Ms, Skittles and Oscar Meyer Lunchables kid's meals have artificial dyes in the United States but not in Britain.
The American Academy of Pediatrics now advocates that children with ADHD should avoid additives such as food colors. ABC News reports that the Center for Science in the Public Interest has petitioned the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to ban artificial colors. The FDA, however, maintains that there is not enough evidence to justify a ban.
Medical Tests
There are no specific reliable allergy tests for food dyes like IgE tests that are used by allergists to detect environmental allergies. Allergists can perform the similarly named IgG tests and can sometimes detect intolerance reactions to food dyes. There is at least one published case report that tested a patient with severe anaphylaxis reactions to the red food dye carmine---a natural food dye derived from crushed beetle carcasses. The examiner found that in this case, the patient had IgE reactions that could be medically tested, as reported at University of Michigan.
Elimination and Challenge Test
The most direct way to determine if your child has food dye intolerance is to carefully read labels and eliminate all food dyes from her diet for at least two weeks. Monitor hyperactivity, irritability and sleep to see if there is an improvement in these areas. Then, reintroduce the food dyes and see if hyperactivity returns. If you observe a behavioral difference, eliminate food dyes from your child's diet for good.
Foods with Dye
Food dyes have inundated our pantry and refrigerator shelves. Many processed foods, including cheeses, crackers and breads, contain food dye. Food dye is seemingly ubiquitous in the children's food market and can be found in many candies, children's cereals, ice cream, lollipops, gummy bears, Popsicles and pudding, as well as in Jell-o, cake and bakery mixes and bakery goods. Many colored sodas, including colas, contain food dye. Read labels, and try to stick to natural foods such as vegetables, fruits and meats that have not been processed. Note that food dyes can also be found in liquid antibiotics and in many children's medications and vitamins.
References
- Allergic Child: Food Dye Allergy
- Annals of Allergy: Foods and additives are common causes of the attention deficit hyperactive disorder in children.
- "The 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
- NIH: Do artificial food colors promote hyperactivity in children with hyperactive syndromes?
- University of Michigan: Popsicle-induced anaphylaxis due to carmine dye allergy
