Once upon a time, there were no food colorings.
Then folks figured out that food looks better and sells more when it can be enlivened through dyes. For most of food history, the dyes were from natural sources – beet juice for red, turmeric for yellow,etc…
However, in the quest to increase color intensity and lower manufacturing costs, cheap artificial dyes were introduced to market.
Unfortunately they pose a risk for hyperactivity in children, cancer, and allergic reactions.
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Sources:
Feingold BF. Hyperkinesis and learning disabilities linked to artificial food flavors and colors. Am J Nurs 1975; 75-5: 797-803.
Harley JP, Matthews CG, Eichman P. Synthetic Food Colors and Hyperactivity in Children: A double-blind challenge experiment. Pediatrics 1978; 62: 975-983.
Kobylewski S, Jacobson M. Toxicology of food dyes. Int J Occup Env Heal 2012; 18-3: 220-246.
McCann D, Barrett A, Cooper A, Crumpler D, Dalen L, Grimshaw K, Kitchin E, Lok K, Porteous L, Prince E, Sonuga-Garke E, OWarner J, Stevenson J. Food additives and hyperactive behavior in 3-year-old and 8/9-year-old children in the community: a randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled trial. Lancet 2007; 370: 1560-67.
Schab DW, Trinh NT. Do artificial food colors promote hyperactivity in children with hyperactive syndromes? A meta-analysis of double-blind placebo-controlled trials. J Dev Behav Pediatr 2004; 25: 423-434.
Sonuga-Barke EJS, Hollis C, Brandeis D, Konofal E, Cortese S, Lecendreux M, Daley D, Wong I, Ferrin M, Sergeant J, Holtmann M, Stevenson J, Danckaerts M, Van Der Oord S, Dopfner M, Dittmann R, Simonoff E, Zuddas A, Banaschewski T, Buitelaar J, Coghill D. Nonharmacological interventions for ADHA: Systematic review and meta-analyses of randomized controlled trials of dietary and psychological treatments. Am J Psychiatry 2013; 170-3: 275-289.
Stevens LJ, Kuczek T, Burgess JR, Hurt E, Arnold LE. Dietary sensitivities and ADHD symptoms: Thirty-five years of research. Clin Pediatr 2011; 50:279-293.
Williams JI, Cram DM, Tausig FT, Webster E. Relative effects of drugs and diet on hyperactive behaviors: An experimental study. Pediatrics 1978; 61-6: 811-817.
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