“Together, the human clinical trials and animal toxicology literature support an association between synthetic food dyes and behavioral impacts in children.”

“This is the first study to test the effects of AFC (artificial colors) in young adults…this study uses the largest dose (225 mg) of combined AFC to date, an amount that is still physiologically appropriate and able to be consumed by an adult which eating normal food products.”

The prevalence of autism is 11 children per thousand in the United States, while it is only 4 per thousand in the U.K. In the U.S. 9.4% of children have an ADHD diagnosis but in the U.K. it is just 1.5%. The author credits the European law that requires warning labels required on foods with certain dyes, enabling parents to avoid them.

The study found a “significant relationship” between a healthier diet and measurement of attention in children with ADHD.

The author describes diet as a “safe and low-cost ADHD therapy.”

“Results of food research suggest that food additives and salicylates may aggravate hyperactive behavior [in] children.”

“…dietary intervention is the standard of care for all children with ADHD.”

“This study provides sufficient scientific evidence that a causal link truly exists between tartrazine and inflection of hyperactivity, anxiety and depression-like behaviours in rats and points to the hazardous impact of tartrazine on public health.”

“Our results indicate that these food colorants had a toxic potential to human lymphocytes in vitro and it seems that they bind directly to the DNA.”

“Studies have shown that certain food colorings and preservatives may cause or worsen hyperactive behavior in some children.”

In an editorial, Andrew Kemp, M.D., professor of pediatrics at the University of Sydney writes, “In view of the relatively harmless intervention of eliminating colorings and preservatives, and the large number of children taking drugs for hyperactivity, it might be proposed that an appropriately supervised and evaluated trial of eliminating colorings and preservatives should be part of standard treatment for children.”

“…a trial of a preservative-free, food coloring-free diet is a reasonable intervention.” 

“Thus, the overall findings of the [McCann] study are clear and require that even we skeptics, who have long doubted parental claims of the effects of various foods on the behavior of their children, admit we might have been wrong.”

“Artificial colours or a sodium benzoate preservative (or both) in the diet result in increased hyperactivity in 3-year-old and 8/9-year-old children in the general population.”

Testing the amount of additives often found in snack foods, Lau combined Blue 1 and MSG, and Yellow 10 and aspartame. The combinations were synergistic, far more toxic than expected by adding up the effect of each one tested alone. Blue 1 + MSG was 4 times as toxic and Yellow 10 + aspartame was 7 times as toxic.

“…this study is consistent with accumulating evidence that neurobehavioral toxicity may characterize a variety of widely distributed chemicals.”

“There is a general adverse effect of artificial food colouring and benzoate preservatives on the behaviour of 3-year-old children which is detectable by parents but not by a simple clinic assessment.”

25 of 40 children (62%) who met the DSM-IV criteria for ADHD showed an improvement in behavior of at least 50% after two weeks on a standard elimination diet, according to parent ratings using the 10-item Conners list, the ADHD Rating Scale, and a physical complaint list,. Among the children with both parent and teacher ratings, 10 of 15 (68%) improved both at home and at school.

“In young children with ADHD, an elimination diet can lead to a statistically significant decrease in symptoms.”

150 of 200 children (75%) improved on an open trial of a diet free of synthetic food coloring, and 63% of them responded to a single-item challenge of tartrazine [FD&C Yellow #5 food dye]. In the double-blind portion, the study identified 24 children as clear reactors, including 19 of the 23 “suspected reactors” (82.5%). When they reacted to the dye, the younger children had “constant crying, tantrums, irritability, restlessness, and severe sleep disturbance,” and were described as “disruptive,” “easily distracted and excited” and “out of control.”

73% of the children responded favorably. “This study demonstrates a beneficial effect of eliminating reactive foods and artificial colors in children with ADHD. Dietary factors may play a significant role in the etiology of the majority of children with ADHD…In summary, this double-blind, placebo-controlled food challenge study supports the role of dietary factors in ADHD. 

Through a simple elimination diet symptoms can be controlled…Elimination of the causes of ADHD is preferable to the pharmacologic therapy of this condition.”