The link between food additives and hyperactivity has long been
suspected, but the study done by Jim Stevenson, professor of psychology at the University of Southampton, U.K., is the first to show a direct link.
While Stevenson and his colleagues are quick to point out that "no one factor is solely responsible for rising rates of ADHD," the British government has wasted no time warning parents of kids showing signs of hyperactivity to cut out foods with artificial colors and preservatives, and honestly, parents all over the world would do well to follow suit.
Over the six-week course of study, kids of various ages were given a drink similar to the widely available, ubiquitous "fruit drinks" we all buy now and then, containing various coloring and preserving agents (as a control, another group of kids was given drinks free of colors and preservatives.) Stevenson's team found that
children in both age groups who drank the drinks containing additives
displayed significantly more hyperactive behavior and shorter attention spans. It is not known which specific additives caused hyperactive reactions in the kids, but hopefully, we can assume that the study will be continued, in depth.
Interestingly, the U.S.D.A.'s website insists that "although this theory (that additives and preservatives cause hyperactivity) was popularized in the 1970's,
well-controlled studies conducted since that time have produced no
evidence that food additives cause hyperactivity or learning
disabilities in children. A Consensus Development Panel of the
National Institutes of Health concluded in 1982 that there was no
scientific evidence to support the claim that additives or colorings
cause hyperactivity."
Um... yeah....
I don't know about you, but my pediatrician has been warning me about food colorings and preservatives for years. As the mom of a kid with allergies and sensitivities, I tend to err on the side of caution and go out of my way to avoid them. And as an American, I tend to take the U.S.D.A.'s "well-controlled studies," as total bullshit; Anyone who says it's okay to pump livestock and poultry full of antibiotics, hormones and other livestock and poultry, and call it "good for you," clearly doesn't have my - or my kid's - best interest in mind.
