Last updated on January 4th, 2024 at 11:09 pm
I ran across this article regarding food dyes and hyperactive children a couple of weeks ago. It’s one of those articles that leave me feeling very wordy, so I put it aside for a while to try and collect my thoughts on the matter.
In short, the L.A. Times spins the article to make you believe that artificial coloring may not affect children:
The FDA still considers the nine synthetic colors allowed in food — in grocery stores and restaurants– as safe as long as each production batch has been certified to meet composition standards.
On its website, the agency points to a consensus report by the National Institutes of Health in 1982 that, the FDA says, concluded there was no “scientific evidence to support the claim that food dyes cause hyperactivity.”
When the FDA is involved in making decisions based on “scientific studies”, there’s a certain level of distrust on my part.
The article is confusing at best.
Can Food Dyes Lead to Hyperactivity or Not?
Here’s the deal, the artificial food coloring (dyes) in conventional food, be it yellow lake #44 or some long name that you can’t pronounce to increase the shelf life of a product, are not derived from nature. They’re science.
It makes your food less natural, leaving your body with fewer nutrients to absorb. When your body reacts to it, be it feeling bloated, lethargic, or even hyperactive, it’s trying to tell you something.
A child’s immature and smaller system reacts to this much more sensitivity. I know people who have seen a world of difference when their kids were given a more natural diet.
Print it.
Hang it on the Fridge.
Share with Friends.
Give a Copy to the Grandparents.
A comprehensive workbook crafted to empower parents in effortlessly eliminating artificial dyes from their children's diets.
Our user-friendly guide is packed with various resources and engaging worksheets tailored for you and your little one, ensuring a seamless transition to a vibrant, dye-free lifestyle."
- 4 WEEKS of Dye-Free Meal plans, carefully constructed and with shopping lists.
- The Big List of Dye-Free Breakfasts
- The Big List of Dye-Free Lunches
- The Big List of Dye-Free Snacks
- The Big List of Dye-Free Dinners
- Your favorite grocery store brands that are dye-free
- Food Mood Journals - 2 versions
- Dye-Free Success Checklist (start here)
- Weekly Observation Notes - perfect for sharing with family members, teachers, and healthcare providers
- Kids How Do I Feel Today printables
- My favorite Dye-Free Foods quick reference sheet
- Meal Planners - 3 versions
- Grocery List Planner
Why do kids need artificial coloring in their food?
If you read this site regularly, you’re here because you’re trying to do something better for your family. Cutting out artificial colors, dyes, flavors, and preservatives is not that hard.
Our motto is, if you can’t pronounce it, do you really want it anywhere in or on your body?
A List of Research Regarding Food Dyes and Behavior can be found in our Food Dye Resource Roundup
