Yep, they’ve done it. A new study financed by Britain’s Food Standards
Agency and published by The Lancet, shows that a wide range of children are affected by various food additives (mostly food dyes but also sodium benzoate). Its about time!
Here’s the Times article;
From: New York Times, Sept. 6, 2007
SOME FOOD ADDITIVES RAISE HYPERACTIVITY, STUDY FINDS
By Elisabeth Rosenthal
Common food additives and colorings can increase hyperactive behavior
in a broad range of children, a study being released today found.
It was the first time researchers conclusively and scientifically
confirmed a link that had long been suspected by many parents.
Numerous support groups for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder
have for years recommended removing such ingredients from diets,
although experts have continued to debate the evidence.
But the new, carefully controlled study shows that some artificial
additives increase hyperactivity and decrease attention span in a wide
range of children, not just those for whom overactivity has been
diagnosed as a learning problem.
The new research, which was financed by Britain’s Food Standards
Agency and published online by the British medical journal The Lancet,
presents regulators with a number of issues: Should foods containing
preservatives and artificial colors carry warning labels? Should some
additives be prohibited entirely? Should school cafeterias remove
foods with additives?
After all, the researchers note that overactivity makes learning more
difficult for children.
“A mix of additives commonly found in children’s foods increases the
mean level of hyperactivity,” wrote the researchers, led by Jim
Stevenson, a professor of psychology at the University of Southampton.
“The finding lends strong support for the case that food additives
exacerbate hyperactive behaviors (inattention, impulsivity and
overactivity) at least into middle childhood.” Continue reading ‘New Study: Children Affected by Food Additives’