The Lancet has published a study on the effect of food additives on children and hyperactivity. Basically, these additives increase hyperactivity in children with no previous history of being hyperactive. Hyperactivity in children usually leads to a diagnosis of ADHD and medication. If you're not registered on The Lancet's website read a news report at the CBC. My understanding is the study gave children drinks with the additives and measured the effects.
Several thoughts come to mind. Obviously, read the labels and see what you're actually consuming. I also wonder about how many kids have been diagnosed with ADHD and given medications that are not helping them but a simple change in diet might. Maybe keep a food diary and see how your children react to certain foods. I also feel like little bits of bad news about food products have been coming out over the years. I wonder if it is slowly coming so that there is not a reaction similar to tobacco lawsuits against food companies. Either way, this study is good news because it shows that just because it is on the shelf doesn't mean you should buy it and eat it.
1 comment:
Great to see a conclusive study on this additive issue in a prominent journal. There has been powerful evidence and many strong adherants around for at least 3 decades (see the Feingold Diet at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Feingold_diet#_note-Program and at http://www.feingold.org/pg-research.html )
Even after all these years of success at treating behavioral disorders, physical and allergy problems with this diet, the food additive lobby is still very effective at drowning out the message.
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