The Feingold solution: assessing the role of diet in children's
behavior. (Health).
From: Mothering | Date: 5/1/2003 | Author: Hersey, Jane
Mothering
* Print
* Digg
* del.icio.us
When a child behaves badly, most people believe the parents
are doing something wrong. But even if you "do everything
right," it doesn't always work.
"We never thought it would be like this," recalls
Terri. "Michael came into the world unhindered by painkillers,
bursting with a healthy vitality, and immediately took to breastfeeding.
Everything was fine until the pediatrician gave him baby vitamins
loaded with synthetic additives.
"His sunny disposition began to disintegrate rapidly
as crying, irritability, and sleeping problems became the norm.
Subsequent checkups failed to identify any physical problems.
Perhaps it was just colic ... all day, every day? I finally began
to suspect the vitamins and stopped giving them to him. I thought
he was simply allergic to them.
"All went well until Michael left the breast and joined
the formula generation at about six months. He spent a good deal
of the day crying for no apparent reason, had difficulty sleeping,
refused to nap, and Couldn't seem to relax or cuddle when being
held.
"Since Michael was our first child, we had no other frame
of reference; we assumed his Jekyll-Hyde behavior was simply
a new stage in his progression toward toddlerhood. Unfortunately,
by the time he was 14 months old, Mr. Hyde had pretty well taken
over, and the nice side of his personality rarely surfaced. We
kept telling ourselves and each other that Michael was just hitting
the 'terrible twos' a little early. By the time he reached three,
Michael's destructive behavior continued, and he spoke only a
few rudimentary words.
"Throughout this period the pediatrician assured me that
he was 'just all boy.' It was only after I joined a mother's
day out program that I began to realize there really might be
something wrong with Michael. During this period I spent a good
deal of time locked in the bathroom, crying, and when I wasn't
there I was reading every book on child behavior I could find.
Michael, of course, spent this time on the other side of the
door howling like a banshee."
It turned out that Michael was a normal child who was simply
reacting to some of the many synthetic additives used in foods,
beverages, vitamins, toothpastes, and medicines-especially those
designed for children. Once Terri learned which brand-name foods
to use and which to avoid, she saw dramatic changes.
"Within four days after the new regimen was fully operational,
I was rewarded with a radical change in Michael's disposition
and behavior. Mr. Hyde gave way to a delightful, funny, and thoroughly
lovable child.
"Michael's verbal skills grew at a remarkable rate. Within
six months he went from barely understandable, single-syllable
words to discussions that included phrases such as 'Mommy, that
isn't appropriate.'"
Often, there are several children in a family who do well
and one child whore behavior doesn't make sense.
Just because you've raised one or more perfectly contented,
well-behaved children, do not think you're likely to escape being
blamed for the problems your next child is experiencing.
"By the time she was five," writes another mom,
"Carolyn had been asked to leave several daycare centers.
Despite the fact that my older daughter is a 'model' child, I
felt Carolyn's behavioral problems were all my fault. There were
times when I would lock myself in my bedroom so I would not risk
hurting her. Even my training as an educator, with a minor in
learning disabilities, didn't help me deal with her problems
or with my own distress.
"The pediatrician and psychiatrist wanted to put her
on Ritalin, but I could not agree to that. I was on tranquilizers,
but nothing was strong enough to blunt the sadness of seeing
my little girl in such turmoil. She used to roll and roll on
the floor in an effort to get rid of some of the frantic energy
going through her little body. She was certain that God 'hated'
her because he would not let her 'mind.'
"Last year, Carolyn and I went to school together. My
job was to try and restrain my daughter while the classroom teacher
taught the other children. After six months, she was asked to
leave and try again next year."
Once Carolyn's mother had removed the chemicals in her daughter's
diet that were triggering her symptoms, she wrote, "These
days I work 50 hours a week at my job, while Carolyn receives
rewards from school every week for good behavior."
Behavioral interventions don't work very well for chemical
problems.
Which chemicals are the worst offenders? Michael and Carolyn
were both reacting to some very common food additives, particularly
synthetic colors, artificial flavorings, and the preservatives
BHA, BHT, and TBHQ. The synthetic dyes used to color foods were
once made from coal-tar oil and today are synthesized from petroleum--also
the source for gasoline. BHA, BHT, and TBHQ are also petroleum
derivatives. Artificial flavorings can be made from any chemical
at all. (1,2)
Michael and Carolyn ate fairly wholesome food, but neither
mom knew how powerful these chemicals are, how even tiny amounts
of them can affect a sensitive child, or how often they are disguised
in foods. They also did not realize how many non-foods are treated
with synthetic chemical additives.
Sarah was very careful about the food she gave her first child,
Andrea, but that was not enough. She recalls, "It all should
have gone so smoothly. John and I waited over seven years for
our little girl. I was a registered nurse with experience in
pediatrics, and an advocate of wholesome foods. Andrea was nursed,
and later fed homemade baby food--I was a real Earth Mother!
Why, then, were we worn out by this incredibly strong and active
baby who scarcely ever slept?
"Some of my most vivid memories date back to the time
Andrea was 18 months old--like the time she had a bath with dyed,
perfumed bubble-bath powder and became wild, banging her head
against the side of the tub. Or when she had a small drink of
red imitation fruit punch at the coffee hour after church and
ran around biting people."
This bright little girl, who spoke in sentences at 21 months,
grew to be more and more frustrated. By the time she was two
and a half, Andrea's temper tantrums were becoming increasingly
frequent--up to ten a day. Her parents found spanking was totally
ineffective and "time out was a joke."
The family learned about the Feingold Program and followed
it most of the way, using the brand-name foods that are free
of the worst synthetic additives. They saw a big improvement
in their toddler, but it wasn't until giving up unapproved brands
of cheese and crackers that they had complete success.
The Feingold Program is based on the research of Ben F. Feingold,
MD, who was chief of allergy at the Kaiser Permanente Medical
Center in San Francisco. Beginning in the 1960s, Feingold observed
that some of his allergic patients who removed certain foods
and synthetic additives from their diets reported that they (or
their children) were calmer and better behaved. Intrigued by
these reports, Feingold delved into the research on food additives
and found there are several groups of food additives and certain
foods that have a chemical similarity to aspirin. These foods
are referred to as salicylates, from the scientific name for
aspirin: acetylsalicylic acid. Aspirin sensitivity is well known
to medical professionals. What is not widely known is that these
foods and additives can trigger adverse physical symptoms, as
well as behavioral and learning problems.
As he followed up on the experiences of the patients in his
clinic, Feingold developed a list of additives and foods to avoid
and a regimen that he named the Kaiser-Permanente, or K-P, Diet.
The media later dubbed it the Feingold Diet, and parents have
called their support group the Feingold Association. The primary
role of the association is to assist families in using the diet.
Many resources are offered, including books listing thousands
of acceptable brand-name products--most of which are available
in supermarkets.
Sometimes wholesome foods turn out to be culprits
Jerry's family ate a wonderful diet, making almost everything
from scratch, yet he had serious problems. His inability to sit
still or focus was driving his teacher to distraction, and his
hyperactivity meant he couldn't participate in karate, something
he dearly loved. It turned out that Jerry is very sensitive to
raisins and grapes; once they were identified and removed from
his diet, he was able to succeed in school, as well as in karate.
Another family was astonished to learn how a wholesome food
can cause problems. Barb was careful about what her toddler ate.
She was appalled at other moms she saw at the mall who put cola
and imitation "fruit" drinks in baby bottles. She gave
her son apple juice, a natural salicylate, but unfortunately
he went bonkers from it.
The chemicals that occur naturally in fruits such as apples,
oranges, berries, grapes, and others contain salicylate, the
naturally occurring, aspirin-like chemical that Ben Feingold
discovered can be a major offender for a child who happens to
be sensitive to it. (3) Doctors and pharmacists are familiar
with aspirin sensitivity, but few realize that certain foods
can be just as serious a problem for some people. Even if you
don't seem to react adversely to aspirin, you could have trouble
tolerating some natural salicylates. Parents can run a test for
salicylate sensitivity in their own home: Replace foods containing
natural salicylates with non-salicylate foods, then reintroduce
the salicylate foods one at a time and note the results.
Why are so many children having learning and/or behavioral
problems?
This growing problem is addressed daily in the media, and
the same tired excuses are always brought out, dusted off, and
repeated: poor parenting, too much TV, poor teachers, or general
social decline--whatever that means.
Another reason often suggested is more ominous. Some children
have a mysterious brain disorder, so goes the reasoning, and
are deficient in chemicals that can be replaced only with powerful
drugs. Many labels have been developed for these behaviors: minimal
brain dysfunction, hyperkinesis, attention deficit disorder,
oppositional defiant disorder, etc.
Such labels can be useful tools, but they do not address the
real problems: Why are so many children being so labeled today?
Why do so many show symptoms that were once rare? Why is "attention
deficit disorder" generally believed to be ten times more
prevalent in the US than in Europe? (4) Why is 90 percent of
the Ritalin in the world used in the US? (5) Is there some sort
of epidemic that stops at the US border? Or do children in the
US consume foods that are different from those found in Europe
and Asia? Perhaps a big part of the answer is--literally--right
under our noses.
Synthetic additives are used in other countries, but not in
so many products and not to the extent that they are found in
foods here in the US. (6) European and Asian foods contain some
chemical additives, but this food is closer to what your parents
ate when they were children. Did your mother brush her teeth
with multicolored toothpaste? Did she have vitamins in pastel
dinosaur shapes? Was her cereal painted in Day-Glo colors? Was
her breakfast drink actually dyed sugar water? If she got sick,
was the medicine fluorescent pink and bubble-gum flavored? Ask
your parents if teachers handed out candy or if bus drivers offered
lollipops. They will probably be laughing by this time. How about
lunch in the school cafeteria? Was it supplied by fast-food conglomerates
or by little old ladies wearing hair nets? Were soft-drink machines
readily available ?
Think about the classrooms back then. There was no talk of
"sick building syndrome" in the days when windows actually
opened and furniture was made of wood, not synthetic materials
that emit gases when they are new. Chalk, pencils, and crayons
were the tools of choice. No dry-erase markers with toxic solvents,
no artificially scented crayons, no carpeting to collect mold
and mildew, no toys scented with petroleum-based fragrances,
no potpourri or plug-in "air fresheners" to add to
the chemical overload. All of these can interfere with a child's
ability to focus and learn. (7) When your parents or grandparents
reminisce about the "good old days," they might be
right.
The connection between additives, earaches, and asthma
The mysterious dilemma of childhood asthma is frequently addressed
in the media. But there is seldom any mention of the decades
of reports found in allergy journals that connect asthma with
some food additives, especially synthetic dyes and monosodium
glutamate (MSG). (8) Petroleum-based additives have been found
to trigger many problems, including headaches, hives, bedwetting,
asthma, and ear infections. (9)
Ear infections were rare in your parents' day, but today they
account for more visits to pediatricians than any other ailment.
In his new book, Biological Treatments for Autism and PDD (pervasive
developmental delay), Dr. William Shaw connects autism and PDD
with frequent ear infections and excessive use of antibiotics?
One theory that may explain the vicious cycle is: The child consumes
synthetic food additives that cause tissues to swell. If the
tissues in the Eustachian tubes swell, they can block off drainage
of fluid from the ear. This leaves liquid in a dark, warm place,
where unwanted bacteria can flourish. If antibiotics are prescribed,
they are likely to be loaded with the very chemical additives
the child should be avoiding, and this could set him or her up
for the next infection. Too many antibiotics, according to Dr.
Shaw, lead to a yeast overgrowth in the intestinal tract. The
yeast produces abnormal by-products in the intestines, which
are absorbed into the bloodstream and can alter the child's behavior.
How can you use this information to help your family?
Most people who contact the Feingold Association do so because
they have one family member with behavioral or learning problems.
They usually assume that synthetic additives do not affect other
family members. The Feingold Program encourages the whole family
to enjoy the same additive-free foods; after all, who wants to
fix two dinners each night? But other family members gradually
realize that we all benefit from the removal of toxic chemicals.
The Henry family started using the Feingold Program to help
their seven-year-old son. He quickly responded, with a clear
change in both his behavior and school performance. His five-year-old
sister was starting kindergarten when the family's diet changed.
She was a perfectly normal child, with no behavioral problems,
performing at a level appropriate for a child her age. At the
end of the school year, after being on the program with her family,
she was tested and found to have math skills at nearly the fourth-grade
level. She also excelled in other areas, skipped first grade,
and continues to be an outstanding student.
How many gifted children are not identified because they receive
average or even above-average grades? Americans anguish over
the poor test scores our children receive in comparison to students
in other countries, but no one considers that a part of the answer
might be found just down the hall--in the school cafeteria.
If you have a child or other family member with a learning,
behavioral, or health problem you want to address with diet,
the Feingold Association can provide information on their program.
They research brand-name products to determine which foods are
free of both the obvious and the hidden additives, and they publish
books listing acceptable brand-name products.
But if you just want to upgrade the food your family is eating,
here are some simple things to do:
1. Watch out for those numbers. Check the lists of ingredients
of prepared foods; if you see a listing such as "FD&C
Yellow No. 5" or "Red 40," put the product back.
Those are petroleum-based dyes. (11)
2. Check chocolate labels closely. If the ingredients include
"vanilla," then you know it is a pure extract. But
"vanillin" is a cheap imitation flavoring used in place
of the more expensive real vanilla. Many people who believe they
are allergic to chocolate are actually reacting to the synthetic
vanilla flavoring.
3. Be cautious of cute names and misspellings. A cereal that
is named "Froot" instead of "fruit" and a
cocoa mix that calls itself "Quik" rather than "quick"
are tip-offs that the ingredients might be as unnatural as the
product's name.
4. Did your mother or grandmother eat it when she was a child?
If a product wasn't found in the grocery stores of her day, it
might not necessarily be full of harmful additives, but it's
reason for skepticism. For example, Grandma ate oatmeal, but
not the kind that is packaged individually, with added candies
and dye to make the milk turn blue.
5. If you made it at home, would it look like that? If you
made popcorn and added melted butter, would it look like the
Day-Glo-yellow fare sold in movie theaters? If you added mint
extract to chocolate-chip ice cream, would it turn Kelly green?
Is there anything in nature that can cause a food to be turquoise?
6. Does it claim to be "healthy"? Is it heavily
advertised on TV? At one time, the word "healthy" would
have guaranteed that a product would fail; today, it is a useful
marketing tool. While healthy foods are available to us, they
are generally not those that are promoted on TV. In fact, some
critics contend that the more junky a food is, the more heavily
it is advertised. (Overpriced foods that use cheap additives
in place of real ingredients mean big profits for the manufacturer.
This gives them the money to buy expensive ads.) Seen any ads
for broccoli recently?
7. Is a food presented as "fun"? This is a good
marketing tool for products that have nothing else to recommend
them. Similarly, the old phrase that a cereal is "part of
a good nutritious breakfast" might mean nothing more than
that if all the other food is good, you might be able to eat
this junk and get away with it.
And, finally:
8. If the dog won't eat it, be suspicious.
Fruits & Veggies
Many fruits and vegetables can be enjoyed in the
early weeks of the Feingold Program, during Stage
One. These foods include:
Allowed Fruits
avocado
banana
cantaloupe
coconut
dates
figs
grapefruit
guava
honeydew melon
kiwi
kumquat
lemon
lime
mango
papaya
pear
persimmon
pineapple
pomegranate
star fruit
watermelon
Allowed Vegetables
alfalfa sprouts
artichoke
asparagus
bamboo shoots
bean sprouts
beans (all types)
beets
broccoli
Brussels sprouts
cabbage
carrots
cauliflower
celery
eggplant
kale
lentils
lettuce
mushrooms
olives
onions
parsley
peas
potatoes (white & sweet)
pumpkin
radishes
rhubarb
spinach
squash
turnips
water chestnuts
watercress
yams
What to Avoid THE FEINGOLD PROGRAM ELIMINATES
Synthetic food dyes--Once made from coal-tar oil, they are
now manufactured from petroleum.
Artificial flavors--These can be made from anything; there
are no prohibitions on what can be added to food to flavor it.
Artificial flavors are often created from combinations of hundreds
of synthetic chemicals.
Three preservatives--BHA, BHT, TBHQ, all of which are made
from petroleum.
Salicytates are removed, then reintroduced one at a time.
Many sensitive people are able to use all or most natural salicylates.
Natural
Salicylates
almonds
apples
apple cider
apple juice
apricots
berries (all)
cherries
cloves
coffee
cucumbers and
pickles
currants
grapes and raisins
nectarines
oil of wintergreen
oranges
peaches
peppers
plums and prunes
tangerines
tea
tomatoes
Also: Aspirin and
medicines that
contain aspirin
can be eliminated
and later reintroduced
and tested.
The Feingold Shopping Cart
There are many things that can be responsible for a child's
behavioral/ learning problems. Vision or sensory deficits, trauma,
exposure to heavy metals, food allergies, and enzyme deficiencies
are among the predisposing factors. Sensitivity to food additives
or natural salicylates are other possible triggers. These sensitivities
are the primary focus of the Feingold Association. Information
on the Feingold Program is available from the association at
800-321-3287 or www.feingold.org.
If we met in the supermarket, here are some of the things
you might find in my shopping cart:
ground beef
fresh chicken
pork chops
Louis Rich oven-roasted
turkey breast
Starkist tuna
Ragu spaghetti sauce
Crispix cereal
Grape Nuts Flakes
Cheerios (original variety)
Eggo buttermilk frozen waffles
(not Homestyle)
whole milk (not low-fat or skim)
Minute Maid frozen lemonade
concentrate
7UP (not diet or cherry flavor)
Coca-Cola (not diet)
bananas
canned corn
fresh fruits and vegetables
frozen vegetables (not in
"butter" sauce)
Dole canned pineapple in juice
Pepperidge Farm Milano cookies
Breyer's ice cream (in the black box)
Minute Rice
Peter Pan peanut butter
white cheddar cheese
Miracle Whip (original variety only)
Ritz Crackers Air Crisps Original
(not flavored)
Fritos
Easy Recipes
Your family can continue to eat
the foods they enjoy, but in versions
like these, which eliminate the
unwanted synthetic chemicals.
Cool & Natural Ade
Pour 2 cups of your favorite juice
into a pitcher; add 4 cups water
and sugar to taste. Stir and chill.
Jell Oh So Good
2 cups of your favorite fruit juice
1 envelope Knox unflavored gelatin
Measure 2 cups juice and pour all but
1/2 cup into a small saucepan. Soften
the gelatin by mixing it with the
remaining half cup of juice. Boil the
1 1/2 cups of juice. Remove from
heat, stir in gelatin mixture. Pour
into a bowl or individual cups and
refrigerate until firm.
FOR MORE INFORMATION
Books
Blaylock, Russell L., MD. Excitotoxins. Health Press, 1996.
Fallon, Sally, with Mary Enig, PhD. Nourishing Traditions.
New Trends Publishing, 1999.
Hersey, Jane. Healthier Food for Busy People. Pear Tree Press,
2002.
Hersey, Jane. Why Can't My Child Behave? Pear Tree Press,
1996.
Price, Weston A., DDS. Nutrition and Physical Degeneration,
sixth edition. McGraw Hill, 2002.
Schmidt, Michael A. Smart Fats. Frog, Ltd., 1997.
Taylor, John F., PhD. From Defiance to Cooperation. Prima
Publishing, 2001.
Taylor, John F., PhD. Helping Your ADD Child, third revised
edition. Prima Publishing, 2001.
Organizations
ADD-Plus, www.ADD-Plus.com
Association for Comprehensive Neurotherapy, www.latitudes.org
Developmental Delay Resources, www.devde lay.org
Family and Home Network, www.familyand home.org
Feingold Association, www.feingold.org
Weston A. Price Foundation, www.westonaprice. org
NOTES
(1.) Harold Hopkins, "The Color Additive Scoreboard,"
FDA Consumer 14 (March 1980): 24-25.
(2.) Code of Federal Regulations, Title 21, Section 101.22.
US Food and Drug Administration (Washington, DC: US Government
Printing Office, 1984): 35-37.
(3.) Benjamin F. Feingold, MD, Why Your Child Is Hyperactive
(New York: Random House, 1985). *
(4.) Conversation with David Walkup, Deputy Chief of the Drug
Control Section, US Drug Enforcement Administration, Washington,
DC, June 1997.
(5.) Ibid.
(6.) Conversation with Sally Bunday, Secretary, Hyperactive
Children's Support Group, Great Britain, October 2001.
(7.) Doris Rapp, MD, Is This Your Child's World? (New York:
Bantam Books, 1996). *
(8.) George R. Schwartz, MD, In Bad Taste (Santa Fe, NM: Health
Press, 1988): 109-110.
(9.) See Note 7.
(10.) William Shaw, PhD, Biological Treatments for Autism
and PDD (published by author): 6-11.
(11.) Harold Hopkins, "The Color Additive Scoreboard,"
FDA Consumer 14 (March 1980): 24-25.
* entire book deals with this subject
RELATED ARTICLE: Studies on dyes.
Red
FD&C Red No. 40--Allura Red FD&C Red No. 3--Erythrosine
1. Tsuda, S., et al. "DNA Damage Induced by Red Food
Dyes Orally Administered to Pregnant and Male Mice." Toxicol
Sci 61, no 1 (May 2001): 92-99.
"We determined the genotoxicity of synthetic red tar
dyes (amaranth--Red 2, allura red Red 40. acid red--#106, new
coccine No. 18) currently used as food color additives in many
countries, including Japan.... The assay was positive in the
colon 3 hours after the administration of amaranth and allura
red and weakly positive in the lung 6 hours after the administration
of amaranth. Acid red did not induce DNA damage in any sample
at any sampling time.... The 3 dyes induced DNA damage in the
color starting at 10 mg/kg.... 6.5 mg/10 ml of new coccine induced
DNA damage in color, glandular stomach, and bladder. Because
the 3 azo additives we examined induced colon DNA damage at very
low doses, more extensive assessment of azo additives is warranted"
2. Vorhees, C. V., et al. "Developmental Toxicity and
Psychotoxicity of FD and C Red Dye No. 40 (Allura Red AC) in
Rats." Toxicology 28, no. 3(1983): 207-217.
"Adult Sprague-Dawley rats were fed diets containing
FD and C red dye No. 40 for 2 weeks and were then bred. The diets
were continued for the females throughout gestation and lactation
and were provided continuously to the offspring thereafter, Red
40 significantly reduced reproductive success, parental and offspring
weight, brain weight, survival, and female vaginal patency development
Behaviorally, Red 40 produced substantially decreased running
wheel activity, and slightly increased post-weaning open-field
rearing activity. Overall. R40 produced evidence of both physical
and behavioral toxicity in developing rats at doses up to 10
percent of the diet."
3. Dees, C., et al. "Estrogenic and DNA-Damaging Activity
of Red No. 3 in Human Breast Cancer Cells." Environ Health
Perspect 105 Suppl. 3 (March 1997): 625-632.
"Exposure to pesticides, dyes, and pollutants that mimic
the growth promoting effects of estrogen may cause breast cancer....
Red No. 3 increased binding of the ER from MCF-7 cells to the
estrogen responsive element, Consumption of Red No. 3, which
has estrogenlike growth stimulatory properties and may be genotoxic,
could be a significant risk factor in human breast carcinogenesis."
4. Lafferman, J. A., and E. K. Silbergeld. "Erythrosine
B Inhibits Dopamine Transport in Rat Caudate Synaptosomes."
Science 205 (1979): 410-412.
5. Abdel Aziz, A. H., et al. "A Study on the Reproductive
Toxicity of Erythrosine [Red No. 3] in Male Mice." Pharmacol
Res 35, no. 5 (May 1997): 457-462.
"The potential adverse effects of erythrosine (ER FD&C
Red No. 3) on the spermatogenesis process were investigated in
adult mice.... sperm count as well as the percentage of motile
sperms were significantly inhibited by about 50 percent and 57
percent respectively. Moreover, ER was shown to disrupt the normal
morphology of the sperm head.... it increased the incidence of
sperms with abnormal head by about 57 percent and 65 percent
respectively. The induced increase in sperm abnormalities could
enhance the spermatogenetic dysfunction and germ cell mutagenicity.
These findings indicate that ER with used doses has a potential
toxic effect on spermatogenesis in mice and in turn, it may affect
its testicular function and reproductive performance."
6. Tanaka, T. "Reproductive and Neurobehavioral Toxicity
Study of Erythrosine [Red No. 3] Administered to Mice in the
Diet." Food Chem Toxicol 39, no. 5 (May 2001): 447-454.
"Erythrosine was given in the diet to provide levels
of 0 (control), 0.005, 0.015 and 0.045 percent from 5 weeks of
age of the F(0) generation to 9 weeks of age of the F(1) generation
in mice, and selected reproductive and neurobehavioral parameters
were measured.... In movement activities of exploratory behaviour,
several parameters were significantly changed in the high dose
group, and those effects were dose-related in adult females in
the F(0) and F(1) generations and in male offspring in the F(1)
generation."
7. Augustine, G. J., Jr., and H. Levitan. "Neurotransmitter
Release from a Vertebrate Neuromuscular Synapse Affected by a
Food Dye." Science 207, no. 4438 (March 28, 1980): 1489-1490.
"FD&C No. 3 ... produced an irreversible, dose-dependent
increase in neurotransmitter release.... These results suggest
that erythrosine might provide a useful pharmacological tool
for studying the process of transmitter release, but that its
use as a food additive should be re-examined."
Yellow
FD&C Yellow No. 5--Tartrazine FD&C Yellow No. 6--Sunset
Yellow
8. Rowe, K. S., and K. J. Rowe. "Synthetic Food Coloring
and Behavior: A Dose Response Effect in a Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled,
Repeated-Measures Study." J. Pediatr 125 (November 1994):
691-698.
"This study demonstrated a functional relation between
the ingestion of a synthetic food color (tartrazine) and behavioral
changes in 24 atopic children, aged 2 to 14 years, with marked
reactions being observed at all six dosage levels of dye challenge."
9. Koutsogeorgopoulou, L., et al. "Immunological Aspects
of the Common Food Colorants, Amaranth and Tartrazine."
Vet Hum Toxicol 40, no. 1 (February 1998): 1-4.
"We described ... the cytotoxic and immunosuppressive
effects of food colorants such as amaranth and tartrazine....
The results showed clear immunosuppressive effects from the 2
substances tested, although the concentrations chosen for this
study proved to be non-cytotoxic."
10. Tanaka, T. "Reproductive and Neurobehavioral Effects
of Sunset Yellow FCF Administered to Mice in Their Diet."
Toxicol Ind Health 12, no. 1 (January-February 1996): 69-79.
11. London Food Commission. "Danger! Additives at Work,"
London 1985. FDSC Yellow No. 6 (Sunset Yellow) was found to be
a carcinogen when fed to animals.
All food dyes
12. Boris, M., and F. S. Mandel. "Foods and Additives
Are Common Causes of the Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder
in Children." Ann Allergy 72, no. 5 (May 1994): 462-468.
"This double-blind, placebo-controlled food challenge
study supports the role of dietary factors in ADHD (including
dyes). Through a simple elimination diet symptoms can be controlled."
13. Weiss, B., et al. "Behavioral Responses to Artificial
Food Colors." Science 207, no. 4438 (March 28, 1980): 1487-1489.
14. Swanson, J. M., and M. Kinsbourne. "Food Dyes Impair
Performance of Hyperactive Children on a Laboratory Learning
Test." Science 207, no. 4438 (March 28, 1980): 1485-1487.
"The performance of the hyperactive children on paired-associate
learning tests on the day they received the dye blend was impaired
relative to their performance after they received the placebo,
but the performance of the non-hyperactive group was not affected
by the challenges."
--JANE HERSEY
Jane Hersey is the national director of the Feingold Association
of the United States, a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping
families of children with learning/behavioral problems as well
as chemical/salicylate-sensitive adults. She is editor of the
association's newsletter, Pure Facts, and the author of Why Can't
My Child Behave? Hersey, who calls herself "a very lazy
cook," has been using the Feingold Program for her family
since 1975. Why Can't My Child Behave? is available from the
Feingold Association and from Pear Tree Press, P.O. Box 30146,
Alexandria, VA 22310. The cost is $22.00, which includes shipping
and handling.
Minerals are essential to
life itself!
|