Food Additives Linked To Hyperactivity: Study
http://cbc.ca/storyview/CBC/2002/10/25/Consumers/additives_021025
Additives in a lot of snacks can cause hyperactivity and even tantrums in young children, according to a British study.
The Asthma & Allergy Research Centre on the Isle of Wight analysed the effects of different additives on 277 three-year-olds. The additives are found in potato chips, candy and pop The additives were: tartrazine (E102) food colouring, sunset yellow (E110), carmoisine (E122) colouring, ponceau 4R(E124) colouring, sodium benzoate (E211) preservative.
The additives were given to the children in a single drink. Doses were similar to ones found in common foods. For two weeks, the children drank fruit juice dosed with 20 mg in total of artificial colourings and 45 mg of the preservative. For the other two weeks, children drank fruit juice identical in appearance but without the additives. Parents then filled reports assessing behaviour such as “fiddling with objects,” “disturbing others,” “difficulty settling down to sleep,” “concentration” and “temper tantrums.”
Researchers said “significant changes in children’s hyperactive behaviour could be produced by the removal of colourings and additives from their diet.”
The Food Commission, an independent watchdog, says hundreds of children’s foods and drinks contain at least one of the additives used in the study. “Colourings are used to make products look especially appealing to children,” said Annie Seeley, a nutritionist with the commission. “Nearly 40per cent of children’s foods and drinks contain additives.”
The commission is demanding the additives tested be removed from children’s foods and drinks.
Other experts in nutrition say the findings are sketchy. The British Nutrition Foundation says “it is difficult to define hyperactivity in children.” It also stated: “All additives go through rigorous testing in terms of safety.”
The diet you are talking about is called the Feingold diet. We have used it for several years with good results. Initially it is a lot of work, but it does get easier. You can get info by researching the Feingold Association of the United States. Yellow dye and orange juice we found to be major triggers with our son.