Artificial Food Colors and ADHD

Artificial Food Colors and ADHD

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DESCRIPTION: In response to definitive evidence showing artificial colors may increase inattentiveness, impulsivity, and hyperactivity among young children, a call has been made by consumer groups to ban food dyes.

I originally covered the landmark Lancet study in Are Artificial Colors Bad for You? (http://nutritionfacts.org/video/are-artificial-colors-bad-for-you/) There’s even sometimes Artificial Coloring in Fish (http://nutritionfacts.org/video/artificial-coloring-in-fish/).

This whole saga reminds me of the artificial flavor video I did the other day, Butter-Flavored Microwave Popcorn or Breathing (http://nutritionfacts.org/video/butter-flavored-microwave-popcorn-or-breathing/). Amazing what the food industry is able to get away with.

There is a campaign to get Kraft to remove yellow #5 from their mac & cheese, but even if the stuff didn’t glow in the dark it’s still just a blob of sodium (750 mg), saturated fat (4.5 g), and trans fat (2.8 g). The food movement might better spend its time encouraging healthier fare altogether.

How can we get our kids to eat less processed junk? I review some practical tips in my next two videos, Tricks to Get Kids to Eat Healthier at School (http://nutritionfacts.org/video/tricks-to-get-kids-to-eat-healthier-at-school/) and Tricks to Get Kids to Eat Healthier at Home (http://nutritionfacts.org/video/tricks-to-get-kids-to-eat-healthier-at-home/).

Have a question for Dr. Greger about this video? Leave it in the comment section at http://nutritionfacts.org/video/artificial-food-colors-and-adhd/ and he’ll try to answer it!

Image Credit: gentlepurespace via Flickr.

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50 Comments

  1. tMatt on November 17, 2021 at 12:36 pm

    Educate, then let parent s parent. None of this progressive regulate everything BS



  2. F SaludesHealth on November 17, 2021 at 12:37 pm

    Excellent as always! Thanks



  3. justgivemethetruth on November 17, 2021 at 12:38 pm

    Well ,when you should have applied your logic was when you began eating artificial foods with chemicals and dyes in them … then ask that question.



  4. Tracey Walker on November 17, 2021 at 12:39 pm

    Get rid of dyes in our foods!!!!!



  5. Liam Kuchta Archive on November 17, 2021 at 12:41 pm

    Behind all the colors is nothing but toxic sludge.



  6. Cortney Stanford on November 17, 2021 at 12:41 pm

    This is great, thank you! Would love to see a video regarding adult onset attention deficit disorder. That is, if there are any good studies on that.



  7. Annaliesa Rose on November 17, 2021 at 12:41 pm

    I had this issue as a child and my mum kept me off all that stuff but my mum’s inlaw my grandma and theirvfamilyvwould plaster me with all that crap and I was hyper and had escma afterwards. Of course in the long run by having that crap it made me hate all of it and so now I’m vegan, mostly raw and cring at ppl feeding children or themselves this sort of stuff.



  8. Robert Smith on November 17, 2021 at 12:42 pm

    It’s unfortunate just how many people do not understand that ADHD meds as a matter of fact are actually (meth)amphetamines. That’s why I’m happily sharing with you my short video on curing ADHD at the core through a scientifically verified application.

    My young boys focus significantly increased by simply exercising the working memory, and so I believe this will be helpful to you and others!

    All the best,
    Robert Smith



  9. Kristen Shannon Bennett on November 17, 2021 at 12:42 pm

    CENSUS, states *Refer to Pediatrician*.



  10. Kristen Shannon Bennett on November 17, 2021 at 12:45 pm

    Dyes + Medications/VITAMINS/Immunizations + Cooking Style + Oral Fluid + Then Food Choices. Monitor Bathing Soaps/Creams/Laundry Detergent. ***Common*** Seasonal/Dust/Molds/Grasses/Pet Dander. ***Allergy Testing***ADVOCATE. University of South Florida/Allergy and Immunology Department.



  11. Kristen Shannon Bennett on November 17, 2021 at 12:47 pm

    FOX News, Emailed earlier today and this was a part of my position.



  12. Randy Lantz on November 17, 2021 at 12:47 pm

    Talk about government bureaucracy being owned by industry. What a crock. It’s criminal. Write your rep.



  13. justgivemethetruth on November 17, 2021 at 12:48 pm

    Kind of funny how the test is to do a test after eating none and then more and more food dye, then do it again … ignoring how practice will make the test easier every time it is repeated … what a fraud. These people need to be relieved of their money, political influence and whatever else they have gotten by making people sick.



  14. Kristen Shannon Bennett on November 17, 2021 at 12:48 pm

    ADD/ADHD…..non-supporter of Prescription Intervention, at all. Newborn to College/Adult Challenges. Strengths, build Weakness.



  15. WIZ HOTEP on November 17, 2021 at 12:49 pm

    CeREAL Ingredients Inc.  a company that engineers artificial berries and flavor bits for the food industry. "You won’t see our name on a box or a bag, but you have probably had our product" says Mr.  Feingold, a food technologist/food scientist and lab manager.

    Isn’t the ALMIGHTY CREATOR and Mother Nature the Ultimate "food technologist/scientist?    this is the PROBLEM, man playing with nature, and to not know that your eating something UNnatural because it’s not labeled is straight DEMONIC!!  The FDA does NOT have our best interests in mind.



  16. sithlordmaster181 on November 17, 2021 at 12:50 pm

    People that believe this stuff also believe that vaccines cause autism.



  17. jofenbat on November 17, 2021 at 12:51 pm

    I love watching these videos. Dr. Greger. Not only I learn, but I always get a good laugh. You have a great sense of humor! love it! Thanks!!!



  18. AstralStorm on November 17, 2021 at 12:54 pm

    It’s simple, beta carotene (carrots, tomatoes) works well for yellow, orange and red colors and is actually healthy.
    Anthocyanins (blueberries, red cabbage) work well for blue and violet with minor processing (w/ soda for light blue). Good antioxidant.
    Chlorophyll (spinach) works great for greens.
    Black can be had from redcurrant or blackcurrant. Brown from the onion peels or betain (beets) w/ soda.

    These dyes have only a tiny drawback – lower shelf life, some UV sensitivity.



  19. Duvan Vilera on November 17, 2021 at 12:54 pm

    Thanks for the video content! Sorry for butting in, I am interested in your thoughts. Have you considered – Millawdon Enemy Foods Trick (should be on google have a look)? It is a great one off product for learning how to detox the body from toxins without the hard work. Ive heard some amazing things about it and my mate got great results with it.



  20. Incognito on November 17, 2021 at 12:55 pm

    he sounds drunk/high



  21. AstralStorm on November 17, 2021 at 12:56 pm

    That’s no "maybe" – this study was pretty strong.
    Always been healthy? There is cumulative damage over the years, such as atherosclerosis.

    The accepted thing since, say, 1920s, was always "eat lots of vegetables". It has never changed – the same as unpatentable, cheap drugs; can’t sell 100 brands of tomato, people can’t tell and it’s less convenient.

    (Many specifics have since been added to the recomendation. Actual evidence of harm of the SAD has been unequivocably shown in many studies.)



  22. ankita thakur on November 17, 2021 at 12:59 pm

    Ghatiya video improve your knowledge



  23. Michael MacKinnon on November 17, 2021 at 1:00 pm

    I love his sense of humor



  24. The Kirk on November 17, 2021 at 1:00 pm

    There’s a lady who sells natural coloring for baking or whatever. She did it for her daughter. I think the colors look really nice.



  25. Howard Johnson on November 17, 2021 at 1:00 pm

    Has anyone tipped off moose kakes, self-elected chief of the food police?  You know, the one that lives (temporarily) in the light-colored house in DC.  This is the same ”woman” that said ”she” had no idea how to feed her own kids just before ”she” moved into public housing.



  26. Jacob RamIow on November 17, 2021 at 1:03 pm

    GOOD LETS GET RID OF THEM. I cant even eat certain candies like skittles, or anything with yellow 5 without getting a migraine.



  27. back2s0ul on November 17, 2021 at 1:06 pm

    I prefer my mint ice cream white, actually.



  28. Samantha Plunkett on November 17, 2021 at 1:07 pm

    I can’t share this on FB it says it’s a malicious link. 🙁



  29. AstralStorm on November 17, 2021 at 1:10 pm

    That "recommended" trial at the end is worse than useless.
    1) No blinding. (Fixable.)
    2) Designed to produce bias. (Hey, I’m testing likely bad stuff, I would expect the bad result.)
    3) Too short.
    4) No consent.The actual high dose effects may be permanent.
    5) Done in a place without correct medical equipment. What if anaphylactic reaction happens to one of the dyes?
    7) What kind of testing? Fatigue can be a confounder.

    Seriously, you have to be insane to do it to your own child.



  30. billbb on November 17, 2021 at 1:12 pm

    yeah



  31. Alice McNamara on November 17, 2021 at 1:14 pm

    Hi



  32. cruciferousvegetable on November 17, 2021 at 1:15 pm

    Is this what’s screwing up our millennials?



  33. The Kirk on November 17, 2021 at 1:15 pm

    With my small kitchen, buying is a better option for me but thanks for the tips.



  34. huskybball42 on November 17, 2021 at 1:16 pm

    Join me in fighting against artificial colors in our foods!
    https://www.gofundme.com/natural-food-coloring-initiative



  35. Raelyn Edwards on November 17, 2021 at 1:16 pm

    DANG!!!!!!



  36. justgivemethetruth on November 17, 2021 at 1:17 pm

    Every time I think of the time I was born and grew up I feel sick to my stomach … I think I ate more chemicals, dyes, sugar and saturated fats that I did regular old food. It makes me sick, but infuriates me as well. And the people who did this made the money, sealed the food system in their favor, bribed the politicians, so we’re stuck with it. This is so disgusting.



  37. AstralStorm on November 17, 2021 at 1:17 pm

    Oh, and you can stabilise some of the less stable dyes with additional antioxidants, usually vitamin C works.



  38. sithlordmaster181 on November 17, 2021 at 1:18 pm

    FYI, there aren’t enough strawberries grown in the entire world to provide naturally flavored strawberry foods such as jello, candy, cakes, cereal, etc. Using artificial flavor works better and is more cost effective.



  39. Monica Steiner on November 17, 2021 at 1:18 pm

    👍🏻👍🏻



  40. LunaTwi01 on November 17, 2021 at 1:18 pm

    Monsanto is the culprit poisoning our food with GMOs and chemicals and get away with it because they control the government set regulations in their favor.



  41. LenonautoMotivecare 9 on November 17, 2021 at 1:20 pm

    Thank you



  42. Bob the Bull on November 17, 2021 at 1:26 pm

    Ok but like for real, as a professional I would have expected you to be less subjective. Every single sentence in this video is made to make food dyes look bad despite no evidence of AFCs causing ADHD has ever been presented, that also was not a flawed experiment. It’s clear that you have an opinion and that you are trying to persuade your viewers to think like you rather than just presenting information on the subject and letting us decide on our own.
    Benjamin did not conduct his experiments according to the scientific method and very few researching the subject have. This is in part how you give relatively harmless substances a negative reputation. The standards for what is too dangerous for a food color in the EU is a chance higher than 1 in 19 billion. That means that If you gave a food dye that just didn’t make it to every single person on earth there would be less than a 50 percent chance that one single person got cancer. Obviously, that is a risk, but nowhere close to how dangerous you make it sound.



  43. ISRAEL SERNA GARCIA on November 17, 2021 at 1:27 pm

    Muy buena informacion, ojala y la pudieran traducir al ESPAÑOL. Saludos y Gracias. 



  44. Mandeep Singh on November 17, 2021 at 1:29 pm

    downvoted for the way its narrated.



  45. Questi0ns&Answers on November 17, 2021 at 1:32 pm

    CLASS ACTION LAW SUIT! CLASS ACTION LAW SUIT!!!



  46. PurPleSuN on November 17, 2021 at 1:34 pm

    It is simple, the U.S. is corrupt, greedy, fucked up, and set in its ways



  47. Kristen Shannon Bennett on November 17, 2021 at 1:34 pm

    If able to, I suggest to at least try 1 time to Nurse/BreastFeed. Not everywhere is appropriate to me, but I am not them.



  48. Joanna7891 on November 17, 2021 at 1:35 pm

    Food dye allergies are not just effecting children. My son was diagnosed with ADD many years ago in school and we were told that he would most likely outgrow the ADD. I don’t feel he has. I am in my 60’s and feel mentally and physically much better when I cut out food dye. My opinion….it’s POISON



  49. Kristen Shannon Bennett on November 17, 2021 at 1:35 pm

    Allergies to the Dyes. High/Low Blood Sugar. Or, both.



  50. AstralStorm on November 17, 2021 at 1:36 pm

    I haven’t seen anyone tell that eating lots of vegetables is bad for you. I’m not as positive that eating any meat is bad, however that actually might be true, as eating lots of meat for long time has been shown to be harmful. Similar with certain kinds of fat.

    Almost all diets actually don’t have anything to back them up, so you’re attacking a strawman.

    Heck, even conservative AHA diet (shown to work) is watered down due to political pressure and acceptance issues.