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MedicalNewsToday.com on Sept 6, 2007 summarized a superb study published in the esteemed journal The Lancet (thelancet.com) validating theories and signficant anecdotal evidence that artificial food color and additives (AFCA) affects the behavior of children with or without ADHD.
A previous study confirmed AFCA affect on behavior but was based on parental reports. The significance of this study by Jim Stevenson, University of Southampton, UK and team is that it "looked at the effects of additives on changes in children's behavior in a community-based, double-blinded, placebo-controlled, crossover trial" and utilized computerized testing and researcher observation to evaluate effect.
Children in the study were either age three or ages eight to nine. The researchers are not sure if their results apply to older children. They used two different types of AFCA in two different sets of both age groups; one mix contained exactly what was in the parent reported study cited earlier and the other mix contained what kids typically ingest today. The children responsed differently to the different mixes depending on their age. And, the researchers noted that the range of significance of a child's response to consuming AFCA varies from individual to individual.
Also worthy to note from the authors (as reported on MedicalNewsToday.com): " 'Although the use of artificial coloring in food manufacture might seem to be superfluous, the same cannot be said for sodium benzoate, which has an important preservative function. The implications of these results for the regulation of food additive use could be substantial.' "
Boonzee note: both of the groups that received the mixes (versus the control groups that received the placebo) received sodium benzoate AND a mix of food coloring. I would like to see a study that evaluates sodium benzoate OR food coloring to determine if one or the other produces more behavioral change .... or if the combination is the culprit.
See the link above for a summary of the details of the study or TheLancet.com for the full article.
Note: "A double-blind placebo trial means neither the people being observed, nor those giving the target medications/products/chemicals know who is getting the real thing and who is getting the placebo." |
