Red 40 #Additive #Hyperactivity #Health

Have you heard of Red 40?

Red 40 is a certified color that comes from petroleum distillates or coal tars. (FDA) mandates that it has to be listed by name on food and product labels. Additives that don’t need to be specified on labels are called “exempt”.
source: healthline.com

Also, the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) says food dyes pose rainbow of risks; cancer, hyperactivity and allergic reactions. cspinet.org

When my middle son Charles was in kindergarten I got called in for a teacher conference related to hyperactivity. We decided instead of rushing and getting a ADHD diagnosis for medication me and the teacher would focus our attention on the possibility that a food additive could be to blame. Sure enough every time he went from “normal” to an extra burst of uncontrollable energy Red 40 was always involved.

Charles with the big smile 🙂

So, took it out of our families diet. I learned that most processed food or candy that was the color red had Red 40 on the ingredient label. He began doing much better. Then, one morning the teacher’s assistant called and asked, “What did you feed him this morning?” She said he burst into the room and wanted to dance. I couldn’t understand it because I only gave him Ovaltine that morning. It was not red, and was an expensive choice for non breakfast eaters. I left her on the phone while I went to check the label  and sure enough there it was Red 40! I soon learned that it can also be found in pickles, over the counter medicine and a variety of non red foods. Regardless of color I always had to check ingredient labels.

Integrative Nutrition has an interesting article from September 2, 2016 called; Red 40 Side Effects. When my kids were younger not much was talked about concerning additives now the articles and in-depth research is astonishing. Some of the Red 40 side effects from the article: allergic reactions, hyperactivity, research has linked it with cancer, learning impairment, irritability and aggressiveness.

Makes you wonder, how many children are being treated medically as a result of an ingredient on a label?