November 6, 2024
Do you think food dyes can impact a child’s behaviour or increase their risk for chronic disease?
Have you ever wondered WHY your son or daughter becomes hyper or more irritable after having a blue sports drink, eating candy, a colourful ice cream or piece of cake?
Food dyes are a common ingredient in many popular processed foods, kids snacks and drinks in North America. These food-grade colours are added to enhance or brighten the natural colour of a food, to render it more appealing, palatable or eye-catching.
Here is a breakdown of the 3 most common food dyes in North America:
- Blue No. 1 & 2 (Indigotine) – Found in: Confectionery foods, beverages, cereals, frozen dairy, popsicles, baked goods, frostings, ect.
- Red No. 3 & 40 (Erythrosine) – Found in: Confectionery foods, beverages, cereals, ice cream, pudding, dairy products, ect.
- Yellow Yellow No. 5 (Tartrazine) – Found In: Cereal, snack foods, baked goods, yogurt, condiments, crackers, sauces, sports drinks, ect.
Food dyes can lead to things like:
- Mood Swings
- Increased Irritability
- ADHD
- Behavioural Problems
- Increased Allergies
- Asthma
- Poor Learning
- Anxiety
These issues affect everyone, but even more so children during their developmental years.
If your kids are still eating processed foods with dyes in them. Try one week without any of these foods and see how your kids shift.
