This blog is to advocate for children who seem to have behavior problems, but are really reacting to the artificial dyes found in foods and medicines. It is to help others to be more aware of how food affects your mood. Children and adults can suddenly become irritable, have headaches, and even become angry or aggressive after ingesting synthetic artificial dyes. I recommend avoiding all artificial colors. This blog was created to help you find the information you need.
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(Reposted from Dec 1, 2011 12:17 PM)
ReplyDeleteMs.Kim Dec 1, 2011 12:17 PM
Wow!! I am so glad to have found your site!
I discovered the dangers of red dye 8 years ago when my son, then 2, had his first "grown up" big boy food and almost instantly became a child I had never seen before. He was irritable, mean, aggressive, violent, and literally uncontrollable. Over the next few weeks, as I was "introducing" new foods to his diet (thankfully I was OCD enough to be keeping a journal of "everything" he ate and drank during this time), I saw "repeats" of this behavior and I knew it was related to the foods/drinks "somehow" but I could not figure out what it was immediately.
I eliminated the foods that seemed to "trigger" him, but the list kept growing. Finally, I spoke to his Pediatrician about my discoveries. He quickly told me it sounded like my son was allergic to red dye!! I could not believe what I was hearing, because I had been lead to believe this is what parents said when "they could not control their kids". I had always been taught that the "red dye" allergy was "made up" for parents who could not take care of their kids (yes, this is what I had been taught and told by my mom and oldest sister). I was not sure if the Dr. was telling me I was a bad parent or if there really was a problem? When I asked him to explain, he did. He said it has been documented and shown that numerous children have an "intolerance" to red dye causing them to be sick, have headaches, act irrationally, and aggressively. After hearing that I definitely looked further into this Red dye!
When I looked at all the food and drink (and medicine) that my son "reacted" to, sure enough they all had red dye (not always #40 - but always red dye!). I immediately eliminated all food/drink/medicine/ and toothpaste that had any red dye in it! And it was amazing how fast everything was alright! I shared this with anyone and everyone who would listen (and still try to today).
In the playgroup that we participated in, it was amazing to see how many of the kids had "reactions" to red dye. After I removed it from my son's life, several of the other moms tried it out too and it made such a huge difference!!! It was then that I decided to eliminate it from my diet too - just to see - and wow! what a difference it made! I stopped having the "daily" headaches. I stopped having my own unexplainable "temper tantrums". It was a noticable difference!
I am convinced that EVERYONE is affected by red dye in one way or another, but have no idea it is affecting them.
Working in the schools, I can see how many kids are triggered to have the "adhd / add" behaviors by the foods and drinks and medicines they are putting in their bodies. It is obvious, especially when there are noticable behavior problems after the students eat their "snacks" and / or "lunch" - usually filled with the dyes (both red and yellow seem to trigger the defiance and aggression)!!
I recently discovered that these dyes that we allow here in the USA are forbidden to be used in other countries (Japan/Europe/Canada) because of the affects proven to be a result of them. The products that have the dyes here in America are made DYE FREE to be sold in the other countries!!!!! They get the foods that our kids love, and without the DYES!! Something is not right??
In the meantime, I will continue to share what I know about the dangers of the dyes and do all I can to keep my kids free of it. My daugher also has severe reactions to the dye.
Thank you for your blog and for all the people you are helping to educate on this matter! It is refreshing to read and learn more from your site! Thanks a million!!!
I hope everyone realizes that testimonials are NOT SCIENCE. Those these stories are touching, they do not prove Red 40 caused anything. I'm interested in the science. Are there peer reviewed scientific papers that link Red 40 to behavioural issues. If so, please post so that I may learn something and take actions if necessary. If not, then all this testimonial stuff is pure junk. DO NOT TAKE MEDICAL/NUTRITIONAL ADVICE FROM TESTOMINIALS. USE SCIENCE!!!
DeleteThe New York Times published an article in September 2007, reporting on a study published in the Lancet and funded by Britain's Food Standards Agency that had “conclusively and scientifically confirmed a link between food additives and hyperactivity.”
DeleteRead more: http://technorati.com/women/article/artificial-colors-linked-to-behavioral-problems/#ixzz1qQdyhlBY
"Despite concerns with the British study, European lawmakers now require a warning label on foods that contain artificial dyes. It lets parents know their kids might become hyperactive if they consume the product." http://www.npr.org/2011/03/30/134962888/fda-probes-link-between-food-dyes-kids-behavior
Some of the studies are difficult or imperfect. ... But there is this body of literature that does suggest that food colorings are not as benign as people have been led to believe.
- Andrew Adesman, developmental and behavioral pediatrics expert
Here is more information and maybe more than you would like to read...
http://nah.sagepub.com/content/3/3/137.full.pdf+html
As you can see the scientific research on this subject has left many people uneasy on this subject. While we wait for the scientific research to formulate a very valid study, we are not going to idly sit by and watch our children (those who are sensitive to the dyes) become affected by these artificial colors. Removing the dyes from our child's diet proved a direct correlation to behavioral changes after consuming the artificial coloring (namely red dye 40 for our son).
"Research on pediatric behaviors can be difficult and expensive to conduct since it often involves regular and subjective assessments of children by parents and teachers who should be kept in the dark about the specifics of the test. And since the patents on the dyes expired long ago, manufacturers have little incentive to finance such research themselves." By GARDINER HARRIS
DeletePublished: March 29, 2011 http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/30/health/policy/30fda.html
We had behavior problems with our son during his toddler years until we eliminated red dye from his diet. Complete turnaround! For him, the day after he had the dye he'd have trouble with impulsivity and aggression, coupled with screaming and crying as well as hitting and destruction. After we elimnated it - complete turnaround. The meltdowns are rare today, though we had another one today. turns out there were sprinkles on the cake he had at a b-day party he went to yesterday. Frustrating!
ReplyDeleteWe figured out about food colors when our son was around 5. He will be 15 in May. Eating color creates in him an ADD type behavior that in the last few years has also become angry and beligerent. It.is.awful!! We have not spent the time trying to figure out which color/s are the culprit, we've just eliminated them all - from his diet and our home. He is such a great kid-when he's color free.
ReplyDeleteRecently he was prescribed an antibiotic for acne. What lenghts we had to go through to find one without color as the capsule he was originally prescribed was colorful with colorful little medication dots on the inside! The pharmacist was very helpful and got the doc's permission to substitute a tablet for the capsule and then was willing to order from another supplier since the one they normally get from didn't have the right one*.
*did you know you can go online and find pictures of medications and then look at their active/nonactive ingredients to confirm the color free status? Thanks goodness for this!
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Delete(I just deleted my other reply because I made a typo.)
ReplyDeleteThanks for your testimonial! It's good to know about the medications. The pharmacist at Publix has always been very helpful in finding alternative medications without the artificial colors for our family. :) Your information is helpful for all readers! Thanks again.
We have eliminated red dye 40 from our son's diet about a year ago & he is doing so much better, health & behaviour wise. He used to have un-explained diarea & upset stomachs & his ears would actually turn red. He also would have ADD symptons. They have all gone away, and he being 11 is aware of it, & stays clear of all food dyes. once in awhile he will have something w/yellow in it. I just find this interesting, I couldn't find 'dye free benedryl or generic dye free benedryl at our local walmart but it is sold at chain Pharmacies' I buy Walgreen's dye free benerdryl. It's a shame that walmart has the most shoppers in this country and don't offer this choice to it's shoppers. I think of all the red dye 40 in the pink benedryl that is effecting kids and most parents aren't even aware of it. best of luck to all.
ReplyDeleteThank you for your comment!! :) I think that all stores should carry the dye-free medications. Perhaps we all need to let Walmart what we are looking for. ;) I am going to put that on my to-do list.
DeleteJust a reminder--Red 40 is just ONE of the 7 synthetic dyes and is no worse than the other 6! Lots of people think eliminating it is enough, not so!
ReplyDeleteThe Fooducate AP is fine but tells you no more than what a food label shows.
The only way that Red dye 40 was the worst for our son, was that it caused behavioral problems for him - (very apparent). I soon learned that all the synthetic colors are harmful to us and that it is best to avoid all of them.
DeleteOur pediatrician wanted to say our son was ADHD at the age of 3. I of course had not heard anything about artificial dyes affecting children at this time. He was our first child and hadn't had to deal with this before. Frantic not knowing what to do and wanting to help my son I took the pediatrician's advice and tried medicine. Instantly I hated the decision. It made my son a zombie and did nothing for outbursts and aggressive behavior. We made another appointment with our pediatrician after I did some of my own research and found other families to talk to that have dealt with this. My first question was about food and or things (mainly dyes) in food could affect him? His answer was no it had no affect. He wanted to change his medication. I didn't like that answer and I said so. We have removed Red 40 from his diet for about 2 years now. It has made a dramatic difference but didn't solve all our problems. We are seeing a therapist to help with things that seem to be going beyond removing the Red 40 from his diet. He are also now removing all artificial dyes from his diet to help more. Removing dyes from a child's diet may not be a 100% answer for all children however you will see a drastic improvement.
ReplyDeleteThank you for your comment! When I first started this blog, I was learning more and more about artificial colors. We first learned about red dye 40 and after removing that from my son's diet, we found an immediate change in behavior and motor skills. However, I began to scrutinize over all the artificial colors that we were all consuming and I found that my oldest son's behavior changed after consuming even yellow dyes. He became very sensitive, whiney, and depressed. For example, he ate a particular ice cream every night and before bed he would act like that. After removing the yellow dye from his diet, I found that we weren't having to deal with that type of behavior as often or as obvious that it happened so suddenly. I also notice when my youngest son ate some Wriggley's Gum that had yellow dye that he behaved the same way. Yellow dye is very close to red dye 40 in it's make up. I would recommend staying away from all synthetic artificial colors since they are derived from petroleum - a coal tar product and because they have been recently shown to cause cancer in laboratory rats, and also because you might find that it is having an affect on behavior. Thanks so much for your comments! I am looking forward to reading other's.
DeleteDye-free for 3 days!
ReplyDeleteI have a 5-year-old son who has been a "challenge" to deal with for the past couple years. He has multiple daily tantrums that include hitting, kicking, screaming, and head-banging. When asked "how was your day" his repsonse was always, "not good." He often did not want to even leave the house. It was always a battle and often ended with my husband or I staying home with him instead of the planned activity. We were at a point where the unpleasantries kept us from going out. We tried about 10 weeks of therapy and did not see any change. Finally last weekend a friend asked, "could it be something in his diet...dyes maybe?" After reading just a couple articles about the effects of artificial dyes on children's behavior, we decided to try eliminating them immediately!! After all, my son's diet included milk flavored with strawberry syrup, character branded fruit snacks, sports drinks, and kool-aid...all with the harmful dyes! We also have a 2-year-old daughter who's behavior was slowly becoming just as bad.
Now, just three days into our new "dye-free" diet, we are already noticing a huge difference in our kids' moods and temperament. Our days are not battle-free...but whose is. The difference is the elevation level of his anger and how he responds to disagreements. For the past few days he has been more positive and upbeat and we are able to extinguish quickly any fires. And I'm thankful to say that my husband and I are not being hit and kicked. Naturally my son will pull back his arm or his leg to hit or kick, but he can stop himself. I think he's just been so used to reacting that way for so long, that it will take some additional tome for his new chemical make-up to catch up with his brain:)
We are becoming a much happier houshold because of the elimination of the artifical dyes!!!
Hi Michelle,
DeleteThat was how it was for us too. It was such a huge difference after we avoided all artificial colors. I'm sure you are mad at this point for not knowing about the dyes. I know I was. I couldn't believe how consuming artificial dyes destroyed my son's happiness for two years before I found out. Thank goodness we found out and we were able to repair the low self-esteem, the depression, and the angry violent episodes that used to define him. Let's not support any producers who decide to place our children's health second to artificial cheap colors. If you need more support - join Red Dye Free Facebook page. :)
THANK YOU for this site! I feel validated. My 4 yr old son has been having behavior problems for about a year; at times he just gets this glazed look with very poor impulse control, kicking/screaming/throwing/hitting and no matter what we try he just is crazy. It's almost like he doesn't hear us or see us! I had him in Preschool for a few months and his teachers kept reporting problems with his behavior and wanted me to have him tested for ADD. Through just watching and noting, I've discovered this behavior comes after eating things with artificial dyes. When we avoid them, even the same day he is just a different kid. My husband is still doubtful and continue to offer him candy, etc. (he feels it's "psychosomatic" since our son has overheard me talking about this). I am convinced it is the dyes - and it's so meaningful to read from other parents who have the same experience. I have a question: How do you handle birthday parties, playdates, etc.? when there is a lot of candy around? Do you avoid going? Do you tell your child he can't eat what everyone else is eating (and how do you convince him of that), do you talk to the parents beforehand? Today we had another total meltdown after attending a party with pinata candy, cake, etc. It's one thing to cut back the dyes at home, but what about these situations? Any advice please??! Help!
ReplyDeleteMy story sounds similar to all of yours. When we go to parties, we ask about ingredients. I try to remember to pack a safe treat just in case. We have been to parties with pinatas and my son collected the candy and then traded with his friends. You could make a trade at home, too... My son has a box of safe treats in his classroom in case someone brings a birthday treat with dye. Also, he doesn't like the way the dyes make him feel, so he avoids it. His friends all know about it and are really helpful. It is hard to totally change your diet at first, but it will get easier!
DeleteI agree with you! It does get easier. My boys hate the way it makes them feel and so now they would rather avoid it. They feel lucky learning to avoid them instead of feeling left out of all the colorful treats. I also taught them the latest findings about the dyes link to cancer and that the blue dye was now found to be a factor in causing ADD/ADHD in adults and children. Unfortunately, I don't have the research on hand to cite this, so I encourage you to do your own research if you are interested.
DeleteAs far as parties, we tell all of their friends and the parents have been supportive - far more than in previous years when parents were made to feel crazy for discovering something that the majority didn't understand for lack of scientific research and the FDA's inability to conduct a valid study for so many years - due to expenses- and in my opinion, greed and neglect.
My "almost 4 year old" son just started preschool and when I informed the school of my son's sensitivity to red dye, they looked at me as if confused so I explained. I even printed out some literature for them. They have since asked that I bring all of his lunches and snacks so that there are no unintentional mistakes. So if the kids are having chicken strips, I pack chicken strips. Pizza or grilled cheese, I do the same. And if they are having something he wouldn't have eaten anyway, I send PB&J or cheese sandwiches cut in really COOL shapes so that he doesn't feel like the odd man out and it's COOL to bring your lunch. I do the same with snacks. I have supplied the school with enough choices that my son can have the same or similar snack as the other kids. As he gets older and can say "my Mom packed my lunch today" or "I can't eat that, thank you", I am more than happy to do this and keep my son happy and healthy. Birthdays ..... send a cupcake with dye free cake and frosting just in case.
DeleteI'm 21, and struggled with the same thing as a child from food dyes. I'm now wondering, has anyone ever tested to see if one grows out of it?
ReplyDelete