The U.S. Food and Drug Administration, FDA, names approximately 700 food additives on a generally recognized as safe, or GRAS, list. Navigate your cart down an aisle of your grocery store to locate a treasure trove of food additives. Pick any aisle, because food additives are present almost everywhere. Controversy continues regarding the relationship between food additives and behavior problems in children. Nutritional experts assert that scientific research does not confirm this relationship.
Combinations of Additives
Combinations of food additives are present in many of the foods your child consumes. For example, one candy bar may contain 10 separate food additives. Most of the previous research has not examined single food additives. Singling out one food additive is problematic when researchers study the effects of blends of additives. Dr. John Huxsahl, MayoClinic.com child psychiatrist, reports that more research is needed that focuses on single additives to determine possible links between additives and hyperactivity.
Previous Research
When researchers gave several hundred 3-year-old, 8-year-old and 9-year-old children drinks containing artificial colors and sodium benzoate, the children were significantly more inattentive and hyperactive than children who received an additive-free placebo. The additives consumed were equivalent to one or two servings of candy a day. Since all the children received the mix of additives, a single additive could not be identified as problematic. The study was published in the British medical journal, "The Lancet," in November 2007.
Suspect Additives
Additives that may modify your child's behavior include BHT, BHA, sodium benzoate, FD&C Yellow No.6, D&C Yellow No. 10, FD&C Yellow No. 5 and FD&C Red No. 40.The additive FD&C Yellow No. 5 causes more problems and is found in candy, ice cream, beverages and other foods. FD&C Yellow No. 5 is labeled on a food's packaging. Unfortunately for food consumers, many food additives do not require labeling.
Implications for Parents
If you observe that a particular food is impacting your child's behavior, attempt to document identifying information about the suspected problem additive, including what your child ate and how much he consumed of the food item. Take the information to your child's pediatrician and discuss your concerns. Together, you can implement a plan that either confirms or disproves your concerns. Make reading food labels a habit when shopping for groceries.
References
- University of Maryland Medical Center: Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
- "The New York Times"; Some Food Additives Raise Hyperactivity, Study Finds; Elisabeth Rosenthal; September 2007
- CNN.com: Can Food Additives Affect ADHD?
- FDA: Food Ingredients and Colors
- Ask the Dietician; Hyperactivity and ADHD; Joanne Larsen
- MayoClinic.com: ADHD Diet: Do Food Additives Cause Hyperactivity?
Member Comments