Artificial colouring and preservatives in food can increase hyperactivity in children. There are eight food colours Sunset Yellow and Tartrazine (yellow); Carmoisine, Ponceau - 4R and Erythrosine (red); Brilliant Blue and Indigo Carmine (blue); and Fast Green (green), BBC radio reported.
Researchers from the University of Southampton in the United Kingdom evaluated the effects of different cocktails of beverages containing artificial food colours and other additives in 153 three-year-olds and 144 eight- and nine- year-olds from the general population.
In all, 267 of the 297 children completed the study and were evaluated by teachers and parents for their behavioural changes after drinking the trio of beverages.
The children drank two types of beverages with food additives commonly found in sweets, beverages, and other foods, and then a placebo drink (one with no additives).
One mix had artificial colourings, including sunset yellow, carmoisine, tartrazine, ponceau 4R, and the preservative sodium benzoate. Another beverage mix included the current average daily consumption of food additives by the two age ranges of children and included quinoline yellow, allura red, sunset yellow, carmoisine, and sodium benzoate.
Teachers and parents evaluated behaviours after the children drank each type of beverage, and the older children were tested on their attention spans. The older children's behaviour was adversely affected by both mixtures with additives, compared with placebo.
The younger children had more hyperactivity with the first mixture compared with placebo, but their responses to the second beverage varied greatly.
Comments
Comments are closed.