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Dye's in foods????????????

I have heard that dye's in foods have been linked to behavior problems in children, does anyone know about this?

I make an effort to buy as healthy as I can for my daughter with our budget (very hard to do). I kind of keep an eye out for dye's but this one is hard b/c everything has dye's in it (which drive me friggin' insane just leave foods be please!).

Anyone have any information about all of this? Before I hit google which will surely have a zillion conflicting things to say about such a topic thought I'd hit you ladies up first =) Sometimes I cant find foods that are without dyes *boo* such as my daughter loves deli sliced roast beef I just realized yesterday that every single one (including at the deli) is browned with caramel coloring, now I am curious how far I should take this dye thing & how seriously.

Thanks ladies =)

 
Mel30248

Asked by Mel30248 at 9:13 AM on Mar. 31, 2011 in Just for Fun

Level 26 (25,898 Credits)
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Answers (6)
  • YES!!!!
    my brother is allergic to dyes. the most common ones that kids have issue with are red dye 40 and blue 1. most people think it's nuts, but it's absolutely true for certain kids. my brother would freak out if he had any and at age 5 they diagnosed him with ADHD and tried to get him on ritalin. my mom then read about the feingold diet (http://www.feingold.org/) and instead removed the artificial colors and flavors and preservatives from our diets. he was a completely different kid. when he would sneak a candy bar or something he would start crying for no reason, screaming, hitting, punching walls... just going nuts.

    now i have a son who is age 5 and i can see similar issues when daddy gives him candy. since i'm used to not having dyes and artificial stuff i just don't have it in the house, but sometimes people just don't believe it's a problem (like my husband) so it sneaks in... especially on halloween and such....
    juliness

    Answer by juliness at 9:35 AM on Mar. 31, 2011

  • I worked at a summer camp a few years back and this girl couldn't have anything with red dye because it caused her to aggressive. That is the only time I've heard of behavioral problems being associated with dyes.
    Liamsmom09

    Answer by Liamsmom09 at 9:16 AM on Mar. 31, 2011

  • Yes, it is true.....It's been known for years and I've been ridiculed when I told people about it years ago.....now it's making mainstream news and alarming people....my advice is always buy "real" food and not packaged food, and cook from scratch.....if you cook simply and make simple snacks it's not any more time-consuming than pre-packaged foods, and it tastes better after your taste buds change, and they do....I don't know if it's true anymore, but I do know that they used to put red dye in apples and red meat...and it does cause problems in some kids...
    Anna92464

    Answer by Anna92464 at 9:33 AM on Mar. 31, 2011

  • ...(got cut off) but not having the artificial stuff is not hurting their childhood or anything! your body has no use for artificial crap anyway! and there are plenty of delicious treats they can have without it! like fruit nuggets, ice cream, cookies...

    i also have worked in preschools and have seen certain kids reminding me of my brother (before i had kids). i think more people should explore this options before unnecessarily drugging up their kids with ritalin and such! i'm a strong believer in food=mood, especially since i was diagnosed with mood problems and depression at a young age and drugged up with numerous things that only made it worse. when i grew up and ditched the meds i realized i was hypoglycemic and allergic to wheat, after adjusting my diet i feel like a completely new person! :) a very happy and stable one at that, with no medications clouding up my brain. rambled but passionate on the subject!
    juliness

    Answer by juliness at 9:39 AM on Mar. 31, 2011

  • p.s. i strongly disagree with gemgem. not trying to start a fight or anything but my brother can have some red dye now also (he is 25 now) it's because you can grow out of any allergy just like you can grow and develop allergies as an adult that you didn't have as a child. and i hate the idea that kids with allergies are somehow a problem. it's that kind of attitude that makes people medicate instead of paying attention to what they consume. i feel there is no excuse to feed ourselves or our kids pretend food. why flavor things to taste how they don't taste or color things to look different than they are unless you are trying to hide something?
    juliness

    Answer by juliness at 10:00 AM on Mar. 31, 2011

  • The only problem we ever had was also with red dye. It didnt cause aggressive behavior but my son broke out in a rash. He was also allergic to certain things in processed foods. Red dye seems to be a big one, but given so many foods have it in them I always allowed my kids to have anything they wanted because I do believe limiting a child on things they will come in contact with can hurt more then help. Our allergist told us that exposing my son to red dye in small amounts was actually better then limiting him because it would strengthen him and not cause him to be one of those kids the lunch room has to stop everything for. My allergist was right. My sons now 18 and can have alot more red dye (its in sodas, hot dogs and just about everything FYI) then when he was little.
    gemgem

    Answer by gemgem at 9:21 AM on Mar. 31, 2011

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