Is the Red 40 Food Dye Additive Having a Negative Impact on Your Child? by Katherine M.
Red 40 is a commonly used food coloring dye added to a variety of products. While it may make food esthetically pleasing in appearance, it can cause a negative reaction in those who consume it.
Children are most often the ones who have sensitivity to red 40, whether or not their parents have realized it or not. Reactions include temper tantrums, hyperactivity, aggressive behavior, uncontrollable crying and screaming, kicking, nervousness, dizziness, inability to concentrate and sit still among other findings. Physically you may get frequent headaches or migraines, upset stomach and feel ill after ingesting this additive. Often when Red 40 is eliminated from the child's diet a remarkable change is noticed immediately.
Red 40 is used in many food products including kool-aid, orange and other flavored sodas, cheetos and dorito chips, strawberry pop-tarts, any candy with red coloring to it including m&m's, skittles, many chewing gums, etc. Also many children's vitamins and pain relievers/cold medicine have red 40 in the ingredients.
When red 40 was first approved by the FDA as a food coloring additive there was some controversy as to whether or not it caused tumors and cancer. Those claims have been proven to be false but now many parents, Doctors and Teachers are becoming aware of other concerns regarding intake of red 40, especially in young children.
Many times consumable products include both high amounts of sugar as well as red #40 so it can be hard to determine if the child's behavior or reaction is because of the sugar or because of the food dye. Both can cause similar results but it is clear that red 40 can be a culprit on it's own as similar results occur when sugar is not present. Children who have been diagnosed with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) generally have significant improvements of their behavior and ability to concentrate when artificial additives such as red food dye is removed from their diet. Red 40 can also affect adults; it is a common trigger for migraines. It can also cause an upset stomach and make you feel uncomfortable and jittery.
Of course not all bad behavior and ADHD are a result of food dyes but it can most definitely be a contributing factor and is one worth looking into. Red 40 is not an essential part of our diet, it's quite the opposite. Red #3 and Red #40 are the two food coloring additives approved for use in food (by the FDA) yet if they were sprayed on weeds they would work as a pesticide. Many parents have had success in eliminating red 40 from their child's diet, the results have been favorable.
It's hard to get away from this food dye completely as it's in a large number of products. Always read the ingredient label and anytime you see the word "red" be cautious. Often those sensitive to red food dyes also have reactions to yellow. Inform your child's school and teacher, daycare and babysitters so they are aware of a possible reaction. So much of convenience and junk food geared towards children contains harmful additives and dyes. Educate your children about what they should look for, so they know red 40 is not something they should consume.
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