My baby sister was recently diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and one of things on her doctor's list of things to avoid was Red Dye # 40 (RD40). I had heard that this particular dye could affect a child behavior but I was never quite sure why.
RD40 is a common coloring additive in many foods and according to Associated Content it can lead to hyperactivity and various other attitude and physical problems in children. However, a publication in Pediatric Annals suggested that studies done on the additives were inconclusive and positive results were not reproducible.
A significant study done in 2007 known as the Southampton received a lot of attention and reported a very strong correlation between RD40 and ADHD. However, The European Food Safety Authority thought the study contained to many uncertainties to draw any concrete conclusions.
Thus the debate over RD40 is still on going, and I was not able to find any chemistry based evidence that might explain why this chemical would cause hyperactivity, in fact most of the research done on the topic has been survey based. Nevertheless, my sister does not eat or drink anything containing RD40 and many other food additives, and because RD40 may trigger my migraines, my doctor has recommended that I avoid it to, and though there is no concrete evidence to support these suggestions, the precaution has caused me to read food labels more carefully and I am healthier because of it.
Associated Content
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/131963/is_the_red_40_food_dye_additive_having.html
Pediatric Annals
http://pediatricannalsonline.com/showPdf.asp?rID=20574
Trends in Food Science & Technology
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B6VHY-4TVSXWN-8&_user=655046&_rdoc=1&_fmt=&_orig=search&_sort=d&view=c&_acct=C000034138&_version=1&_urlVersion=0&_userid=655046&md5=442083844f21382db398243bf2e60a1a
1 comment:
Apparently, yellow 5 may not be the only food dye that could possibly have negative effects on people. Yellow 5 (Tartrazine) is another common dye azo dye used for food coloring. Yellow 5 arguably causes the most allergic and intolerance reactions of all azo dyes, and is also suspected to cause hyperactivity in children.
Still yellow 5 has been approved by the FDA. The FDA claims that the dye may cause hives in about 1 out of every 10,000 people.
http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~lrd/colorfac.html
http://www.ukfoodguide.net/e102.htm
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