Red dye 40 is a synthetic food dye made from petroleum. Research has shown that it is linked to certain ADHD symptoms, such as hyperactivity, and may also cause other neurobehavioral effects in children. People can check for red dye 40 on food labels if they wish to limit their intake.
Red Dye 40 has been linked to aggression and mental disorders like attention deficit hyperactive disorder (ADHD) in children.
To date, no conclusive evidence has been found to show that food coloring causes ADHD. Some studies, though, have suggested an association between the two. Most likely, ADHD is caused by the combination of changes in brain structure, environmental factors, and heredity.
Research has found that removing red dye 40 may improve symptoms in some children with ADHD. Children with ADHD may benefit from a restricted diet that eliminates color additives from their food.
Additionally, both adults and children have reported an upset stomach, migraines, jitteriness, nervousness, and inability to concentrate after a high intake of Red Dye 40. The CSPI released a report that says artificial food dyes pose a “rainbow of risks,” including everything from allergies to cancer.
In general, however, it is believed that food dyes are typically excreted from the body within 24-48 hours.
What the FDA says. The Southampton study was among the research reviewed by the FDA's food advisory committee in 2011, when it held public hearings to consider whether food dyes cause hyperactivity. The committee concluded there was no causal link, and no need for a warning label similar to the EU's.
ADHD brains have low levels of a neurotransmitter called norepinephrine. Norepinephrine is linked arm-in-arm with dopamine. Dopamine is the thing that helps control the brain's reward and pleasure center. The ADHD brain has impaired activity in four functional regions of the brain.
Soft drinks – Sprite, Coke, Diet Coke, Mountain Dew; no red or purple dyes. Gatorade – No red or purple dyes. Any clear drinks – water, lemonade, etc.
“ADHD doesn't disappear just because symptoms become less obvious—its effect on the brain lingers.” Some adults who had milder symptom levels of ADHD as children may have developed coping skills that address their symptoms well enough to prevent ADHD from interfering with their daily lives.
Research, however, does not support the view that ADHD is caused by food additives or coloring. The research does show that these ingredients can make symptoms worse for some people affected by ADHD.
Research suggests that artificial food dyes, sugar, and sensitivities may exacerbate symptoms of ADHD in some children.
Red 40 is a chemical compound that comes from coal tars. Additives such as dyes made from coal tars are created by mixing various fragrant smelling hydrocarbons like benzyne and toluene.
Q: Do food dyes exacerbate ADHD symptoms? Dr. Nigg: There is enough evidence that food dyes affect behavior in some sensitive children with ADHD (and other children without the condition) to justify warning labels on foods containing synthetic dyes.
Red dye #40 has been most commonly associated with aggressive and impulsive behavior in children. Tantrums, hitting, kicking and swearing are common reactions in children sensitive to this dye.
Snack Chips and Products
You might find artificial colors in nacho-flavored tortilla chips. You'll also likely find it in spicy potato and corn chips, as well as other processed savory chips and snacks that are red or “cheese” colored.
The hypothesis was disproved, as darker drinks didn't consistently correlate with a greater concentration. Powerade and Gatorade Fruit Punch both contained the same amount of Red Dye 40. In the future this could be used to help the FDA set limits on how much Red Dye 40 food and drink products can contain.
No artificial colors here! Red crackers are colored using a mix of beet juice concentrate and paprika extracted from sweet red peppers. The green color comes from watermelon and huito (a South American fruit) juice concentrates.
The additive, denoted as Red 40 or Allura red on ingredients label, is the most prevalent dye used in many popular snacks and drinks, including Skittles, Doritos and Pepsi, as well as some cosmetics.
The collected evidence indicated that lead (Pb), phthalates and bisphenol A (BPA) are moderately to highly associated with ADHD. Limited evidence exists for an association between ADHD and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), flame retardants, mercury (Hg), and pesticides.
People with ADHD will have at least two or three of the following challenges: difficulty staying on task, paying attention, daydreaming or tuning out, organizational issues, and hyper-focus, which causes us to lose track of time. ADHD-ers are often highly sensitive and empathic.
American Doritos are covered in artificial dyes made from petroleum (Red #40, Blue #1, and Yellow #5). These dyes have been found to be contaminated with carcinogens, such as benzidine. In the U.K., these dyes require a warning label that says “May Have an Adverse Effect on Activity and Attention in Children".
Of these dietary components, artificial food coloring (AFC), while approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), has been suspected to be associated with ADHD symptoms. Of the nine FDA-certified food colors, two are used for artificial blue coloring: Blue No. 1 and Blue No. 2.