Most clinical studies conclude that, in regard to artificial colors, adverse reactions such as hives, swelling, and headaches can occur in susceptible individuals, but these cases are infrequent. You can read more about this at:
http://vm.cfsan.fda.gov/~lrd/foodaddi.ht...
http://www.aap.org/policy/re9706.html
http://www.aaaai.org/public/publicedmat/...
On the other hand, some medical professionals have found that even small amounts of a certain food, chemical, or food additive that a person is sensitive to can cause a reaction. In children, often their behavior is adversely affected. Behavioral symptoms include:
- moodiness
- irritability
- excessive fatigue
- depression
- aggression
- temper tantrums
- hyperactivity
- hiding under furniture or in dark corners
Dr. Doris Rapp, a pediatric allergist and environmental medical specialist, discusses this at her website and in detail in her book, Is This Your Child? Discovering and Treating Unrecognized Allergies in Children and Adults. The Feingold Association is also based on the idea that behavior is affected by diet. More information on hyperactivity and diet can also be found at http://borntoexplore.org/nutrition.htm .
It's important to keep in mind that, obviously, not all behavior problems, including hyperactivity, are caused or aggravated by allergies and sensitivities. However, many health care professionals and parents have observed that some children are helped a great deal by changes in diet. In fact, my interest in allergies is due to the impact that diet can have on behavior. When my younger son has an allergy overload, he can become moody, fatigued, and irritable. When he was a preschooler, soon after his allergies were diagnosed, I decided to try certain suspected foods to see if there was a reaction. First, I tested his favorite beverage,a grape-flavored drink - no noticeable effect. Several days later, I gave him the grape drink and his favorite (at the time) snack, cheese puffs. The next day, while at his older brother's scout function, he had what I can only describe as a "meltdown". Fortunately, he hasn't had a meltdown like that since; of course, he has gotten older and can exhibit more self-control. I also don't buy cheese puffs any more. ;-)
I consulted his allergist about this, since I had, at other times, given him different foods with the same artificial colors and didn't notice any problems. The doctor replied that the combination of the grape drink and the cheese snack might have been enough to cause an adverse reaction. As a matter of fact, in the first book that I came across concerning allergies and behavior, Your Child's Food Allergies by Jane McNicol, the author mentions "junk-loading" as a way to test for a reaction if previous results have been marginal. In one example, after several hours of "junk food", one child asked his mother not to feed him that "stuff" anymore, since he could feel the effect.
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