Can food dye cause hyperactivity?
A recent study by the United Kingdom’s Food Standards Agency in 2007 showed that the consumption of foods containing dyes could increase hyperactive behavior in children. In the study of 3- 8- and 9-year-olds, children were given three different types of beverages to drink. Then their behavior was evaluated by teachers and parents. One of the drink mixtures contained artificial food colorings, including: • sunset yellow (E110) • carmoisine (E122) • tartrazine (E102) • ponceau 4R (E124) It also contained the preservative sodium benzoate. The second drink mixture included: • quinoline yellow (E104) • allura red (E129) • sunset yellow • carmoisine It also had sodium benzoate. The third drink mixture was a placebo and contained no additives. The researchers found that hyperactive behavior by the 8- and 9-year-olds increased with both the mixtures containing artificial coloring additives. The hyperactive behavior of 3-year-olds increased with the first beverage but not necessarily with the
