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Yes thanks for the link, though i will say, that the observation of my child is worth a whole hill of beans more than a study. Perhaps he is allergic?
My understanding is that some kids are actually allergic, or at least more sensitive than other kids. That isn't from any study, but what I've heard from other parents in other forums. I haven't noticed a difference since I cut back the colors, but we had too many other variables. I notice a difference over all, but what caused it, who knows?
But we also didn't go from koolaid every day to no koolaid. We were probably pretty low on food coloring in the first place.
I have a kid with ADHD and we don't let him have any food dyes if we can help it. I definitely don't freak out about candy at Halloween or Easter.
I guess I haven't found it that hard at all, we wouldn't eat anything on that list anyway. Of course I live in the crunchy Pacific Northwest so that's probably a factor too
No I dont intend to completely outlaw all red 40, because honestly as you just pointed out, its almost impossible. I try and make a lot of things at home, i know they dont contain any extras. We made the rule of no red 40 after 6 pm so that he will fall asleep before 11. I dont want to be the parent at school who says no red 40, so no cupcake on birthday party day or at the holiday celebration. No special rewards. No birthday cake or run things like that. But I can try and at least control some of the intake in order to keep him more managable without needing medication to calm him down because his adhd symptoms stem from food dye not an actual disorder.
We don't outlaw food dyes and additives either. However, I do not keep things at home that have dyes in them. If the kids get the artificial stuff at a friend's or at school it's ok but at home I try to use food made from natural ingredients.
We are not 100% natural and organic at home, but pretty close.
My son has ADHD, and we don't eat much junk processed food. Other than the rare candy, we don't eat anything on Anon's list; I cook almost everything from scratch or mostly so (dried pasta, canned tomatoes or beans, etc.). My son's condition is not diet-related. I can't speak for other families, just mine, but I am very wary of "explanations" or "cures" that have to do with diet. I agree that Americans consume and are exposed to too many chemicals in general, but we have never been a big junk food family.
The only noticeable difference that diet has on my son is 1) Sprite turns him into that squirrel from Over the Hedge, and 2) like me, if he is running on empty, he is very absent-minded and crabby.
My understanding of the current thought on food coloring and hyperactivity, be it ADHD or not, is not that is causes it, but that it exacerbates it.
Ah, I see. Is the current dilemma whether there's causation vs. correlation? I've read that the link between sugar and general hyperactivity (not ADHD, just extra bounciness) is even being questioned. I haven't paid too much attention to the red 40 information, mostly because we don't typically eat much of it.
Ah, I see. Is the current dilemma whether there's causation vs. correlation? I've read that the link between sugar and general hyperactivity (not ADHD, just extra bounciness) is even being questioned. I haven't paid too much attention to the red 40 information, mostly because we don't typically eat much of it.
British researchers found removing food additives from the diet of a group of 3-year-olds caused a reduction in the children's hyperactive behavior reported by their parents. And when the food colorings and preservatives were added back into the children's diets, the parents reported an increase in hyperactivity.
However, although the parents reported significant changes in hyperactive behavior, the study showed no significant differences on clinical tests of hyperactivity related to the food additives.
Quote:
All in all, researchers say that limiting the amount of sugar or artificial additives people or their children eat certainly isn't harmful as long as their nutritional needs are being met. But it's unrealistic to think that food is the cause of behavioral problems.
"The bottom line is that too much artificial food stuff isn't good for you, but I don't think you can believe that it's going to hurt your child's behavior or learning very much," says Dulcan.
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