Many children, and not just those suffering from extreme hyperactive conditions, can become more impulsive, inattentive and hyperactive from the cocktail of artificial additives found in drinks, sweets and processed foods, according to research published in the Lancet.

In the biggest study of its kind, scientists at Southampton University recorded the responses of 153 three-year-olds and 144 eight to nine-year-olds to various drinks and found that artificial food colours and additives were having “deleterious effects”. The youngsters drank a mix that reflected a UK child’s average daily additive intake.

Campaigners have long since warned that E numbers in hundreds of everyday products can affect children’s behaviour. They point to colourings in confectionary, soft drinks, ice cream and cakes aimed specifically at children. These artificial colours may brighten up food and drinks but they have the study provides clear evidence that mixtures of certain food colours and benzoate preservatives can adversely influence the behaviour of children.

The children, chosen as a snapshot of the general population, were all put on additive-free diets. None already suffered from a hyperactivity disorder. Then each day for six weeks, they were given drinks that either contained one of two mixtures of food colours and benzoate preservative or just fruit juice. All the drinks looked and tasted the same. The study builds upon tests conducted on the Isle of Wight in 2002, which were inconclusive about the possible links between additives and hyperactivity. The first mixture was similar to that used in the 2002 study. The second mixture contained the current average daily consumption of food additives by three-year-old and eight to nine-year-old children in the UK.

The FSA is now sending the findings to the European Food Safety Authority, which is currently reviewing the safety of all European Union permitted food colours. Hopefully it will increase pressure on manufacturers to stop using certain food colourings, but there are no plans to call for a ban.

Parents who are confused over what might be bad for their children are left with a simple message: read the label.

This entry was posted on Thursday, November 1st, 2007 at 4:40 am and is filed under Children's Health, In the News, Toxins. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.