Avoid 100 Dangerous Food Additives Causing ADHD, Asthma and Cancer

Avoid 100 Dangerous Food Additives Causing ADHD, Asthma and Cancer

Food industry additives and colors are one major cause of ADHD, asthma and cancer creating a toxic environment for our children's health. Even medicines for babies and young children frequently contain these additives banned from foods and drinks and targeted at children under three years of age.


Artificial flavors and colors means it is derived from a chemical made in a laboratory and has no nutritional value. Every single artificial flavor and color in the food industry has some kind of detrimental health effect. These include neurotoxicity, organ, developmental, reproductive toxicity, allergies and cancer.

Two recent British studies found that several food dyes, as well as the common preservative sodium benzoate have an adverse effect on some children's behavior. Researchers said the increase in ADHD diagnoses could be partly to blame on the preservative.
"It can affect their focus, their concentration. They become more easily distractible, become more impulsive. I think we're looking at a whole population of kids with skewed immune systems," said Dr. Kenneth Bock, who wrote a book that supports the theory that food additives could lead to hyperactivity in children.
A Southampton Study in the UK showed that additives cause hyperactivity in children within an hour after consumption. Food additives, especially the artificial colors are made from coal tar derivatives and synthetic chemicals. Within an hour of ingestion, hyperactive behavior is evident.

Cancer and Other Serious Risks from Food Dyes Revealed
Every year, food manufacturers pour 15 million pounds of artificial food dyes into U.S. foods -- and that amount only factors in eight different varieties, according to the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI).

In CSPI's summary of studies on food dyes, you can see that some of the most commonly used food dyes may be linked to numerous forms of cancer. CSPI reported:

"The three most widely used dyes, Red 40, Yellow 5, and Yellow 6, are contaminated with known carcinogens ...Another dye, Red 3, has been acknowledged for years by the Food and Drug Administration to be a carcinogen, yet is still in the food supply."

In their 58-page report, "Food Dyes: A Rainbow of Risks," CSPI revealed that nine of the food dyes currently approved for use in the United States are linked to health issues ranging from cancer and hyperactivity to allergy-like reactions -- and these results were from studies conducted by the chemical industry itself.
For instance, Red # 40, which is the most widely used dye, may accelerate the appearance of immune-system tumors in mice, while also triggering hyperactivity in children.
Blue #2, used in candies, beverages, pet foods and more, was linked to brain tumors. And Yellow 5, used in baked goods, candies, cereal and more, may not only be contaminated with several cancer-causing chemicals, but it's also linked to hyperactivity, hypersensitivity and other behavioral effects in children.
As CSPI reported:

"Almost all the toxicological studies on dyes were commissioned, conducted, and analyzed by the chemical industry and academic consultants. Ideally, dyes (and other regulated chemicals) would be tested by independent researchers.
Furthermore, virtually all the studies tested individual dyes, whereas many foods and diets contain mixtures of dyes (and other ingredients) that might lead to additive or synergistic effects.
In addition to considerations of organ damage, cancer, birth defects, and allergic reactions, mixtures of dyes (and Yellow 5 tested alone) cause hyperactivity and other behavioral problems in some children.
...Because of those toxicological considerations, including carcinogenicity, hypersensitivity reactions, and behavioral effects, food dyes cannot be considered safe. The FDA should ban food dyes, which serve no purpose other than a cosmetic effect, though quirks in the law make it difficult to do so (the law should be amended to make it no more difficult to ban food colorings than other food additives).
In the meantime, companies voluntarily should replace dyes with safer, natural colorings."

Artificial preservatives are responsible for causing a host of health problems pertaining to respiratory tract, heart, blood and other. Some are very neurotoxic especially when combined with specific nutrients.

Please look at the ingredient lists before you purchase any processed foods. If you see any of these, don't buy the product. Continue to educate yourself on the influx of new toxins introduced every year. Eventually, if we investigate enough the answers come. Rule of thumb, if the ingredient list has one chemical or more...it's one too many.

TABLE OF DANGEROUS FOOD ADDITIVES
Additive Number	Name of Food Additive	ADHD	Asthma	Cancer
FD&C Yellow No. 5 102 & E102	Tartrazine (food color)	✓	✓	✓
104 & E104	Quinoline Yellow (food color)	✓	✓	✓
107 & E107	Yellow 2G (food color)	✓	✓	✓
FD&C Yellow No. 6 110 & E110	Sunset Yellow (Yellow food color #6)	✓	✓	✓
120 & E120	Carmines, Cochineal (food color)	✓	✓	-
122 & E122	Azorubine, Carmoisine (food color)	✓	✓	✓
123 & E123	Amaranth (Red food color #2)	✓	✓	✓
124 & E124	Ponceau, Brilliant Scarlet (food color)	✓	✓	✓
FD&C Red No. 3 127 & E127	Erythrosine (Red food color #2)	✓	✓	✓
E128	Red 2G (Red food color)	✓	✓	✓
FD&C Red No. 40 129 & E129	Allura Red AC (food color)	✓	✓	✓
E131	Patent Blue (food color)	✓	✓	✓
FD&C Blue No. 2 132 & E132	Indigotine, Indigo Carmine (food color)	✓	✓	✓
FD&C Blue No. 1 133 & E133	Brilliant Blue (food color)	✓	✓	✓
142 & E142	Acid Brilliant Green, Green S, Food Green (food color)	✓	✓	-
143	Fast Green (food color)	-	✓	-
150 & E150	Caramel (food color)	✓	-	-
151 & E151	Activated Vegetable Carbons, Brilliant Black (food color)	✓	✓	✓
154	Food Brown, Kipper Brown, Brown FK (food color)	✓	✓	✓
155 & E155	Chocolate Brown HT, Brown HT (food color)	✓	✓	✓
160b & E160b	Bixin, Norbixin, Annatto Extracts (yellow, red to brown natural colors)	✓	✓	-
E171	Titanium Dioxide, TiO2 (to give foods an opaque color) more on Titanium Dioxide in comments below ↴	?	?	?
E173	Aluminium (preservatives)	-	-	✓
E180	Latol Rubine, Pigment Rubine (preservatives)	✓	✓	✓
200 & E200-203	Potassium & Calcium Sorbates ,Sorbic Acid (preservatives)	✓	✓	-
210 & E210	Benzoic Acid (preservatives)	✓	✓	-
211 & E211	Sodium Benzoate (preservatives)	✓	✓	✓
212 & E212	Potassium Benzoate (preservatives)	-	✓	-
213 & E213	Calcium Benzoate (preservatives)	-	✓	-
E214	Ethyl Para Hydroxybenzonate (preservatives)	-	✓	-
E215	Sodium Ethyl Para Hydroxybenzonate (preservatives)	-	✓	-
216 & E216	Propyl P Hydroxybenzonate, Propylparaben (preservatives)	-	✓	-
E217	Sodium Propyl P Hydroxybenzonate (preservatives)	-	✓	-
220 & E220	Sulphur Dioxide also Sulfur dioxide (preservatives)	✓	✓	-
221 & E221	Sodium Sulfite or Sodium Sulphite (preservatives)	-	✓	-
222	Sodium Bisulfite or Sodium Bisulphite (preservatives)	-	✓	-
223 & E223	Sodium Metabisulfite or Sodium Metabisulphite (preservatives)	-	✓	-
224 & E224	Potassium Metabisulphite or Potassium Metabisulfite (preservatives)	-	✓	-
225 & E225	Potassium Sulfite or Potassium Sulphite (preservatives)	-	✓	-
E226	Calcium Sulfite or Calcium Sulphite (preservatives)	-	✓	-
E227	Calcium Hydrogen Sulphite or Calcium Hydrogen Sulfite (preservatives)	-	✓	-
E228	Potassium Bisulfite, Potassium Hydrogen Sulfite or Potassium Bisulphite, Potassium Hydrogen Sulphite (preservatives)	✓	✓	-
E230	Diphenyl, Biphenyl (preservatives)	-	-	✓
E231	Orthophenyl Phenol (preservatives)	-	-	✓
E236	Formic Acid (preservative)	-	-	✓
E239	Hexamine, Hexamethylene Tetramine (preservatives)	-	-	✓
249 & E249	Potassium Nitrate (preservative)	-	✓	✓
250 & E250	Sodium Nitrite (preservative)	✓	✓	✓
251 & E251	Sodium Nitrate (preservative)	✓	-	✓
252 & E252	Potassium Nitrate (preservative)	✓	-	✓
260 & E260	Acetic Acid, Glacial (preservatives)	-	✓	-
280 to 283	Calcium or Potassium or Sodium Propionates, Propionic Acid (preservatives)	✓	✓	-
310 & E310	Propyl Gallate (Synthetic Antioxidant)	-	✓	✓
311 & E311	Octyl Gallate (Synthetic Antioxidant)	-	✓	-
312 & E312	Dodecyl Gallate (Synthetic Antioxidant)	-	✓	-
319 & E319	TBHQ, Tert Butylhydroquinone (Synthetic Antioxidants)	✓	✓	-
320 & E320	Butylated Hydroxyanisole (BHA) (Synthetic Antioxidants)	✓	✓	✓
321 & E321	Butylated Hydroxytoluene (BHT) or Butylhydroxytoluene (Synthetic Antioxidants)	✓	✓	✓
330 & E330	Citric Acid (NOT DANGEROUS if naturally occurring e330 & 330 citric acid additive – but other can contain sulfites and mold.)	-	-	-
407 & E407	Carrageenan (Thickening & Stabilizing Agent)	-	✓	✓
413 & E413	Tragacanth (thickener & Emulsifier)	-	✓	-
414 & E414	Acacia Gum (Food Stabilizer)	-	✓	-
416	Karaya Gum (Laxative, Food Thickener & Emulsifier)	-	✓	-
421 & E421	Mannitol (Artificial Sweetener)	✓	-	-
430	Polyxyethylene Stearate (Emulsifier)	-	-	✓
431	Polyxyl Stearate (Emulsifier)	-	-	✓
E432 – E435	Polyoxyethylene Sorbitan Monostearate (Emulsifiers Gelling Stabilisers Thickeners Agents)	-	-	✓
433 – 436	Polysorbate (Emulsifiers)	-	-	✓
441 & E441	Gelatine (Food Gelling Agent)	-	✓	-
466	Sodium CarboxyMethyl Cellulose	-	-	✓
507 & E507	Hydrochloric Acid (Hydrolyzing Enhancer & Gelatin Production)	-	-	✓
518 & E518	Magnesium Sulphate (Tofu Coagulant)	-	-	✓
536 & E536	Potassium Ferrocyanide (Anti Caking Agent)	-	✓	-
553 & E553 & E553b	Talc (Anti Caking, Filling, Softener, Agent)	-	-	✓
620 – 625	MSG Monosodium Glutamate, Glutamic Acid, all Glutamates (Flavour Enhancers)	✓	✓	✓
627 & E627	Disodium Guanylate (Flavour Enhancers)	✓	✓	-
631 & E631	Disodium Inosinate 5 (Flavour Enhancers)	-	✓	-
635 & E635	Disodium Ribonucleotides 5 (Flavour Enhancers)	-	✓	-
903 & E903	Camauba Wax (used in Chewing Gums, Coating and Glazing Agents)	-	-	✓
905 & 905 a,b,c	Paraffin and Vaseline, White Mineral Oil (Solvents, Coating and Glazing, Anti Foaming Agents, Lubricant in Chewing Gums)	-	-	✓
924 & E924	Potassium Bromate (Agent used in Bleaching Flour)	-	-	✓
925 & E925	Chlorine (Agent used in Bleaching Flour, Bread Enhancer and Stabiliser)	-	-	✓
926	Chlorine Dioxide (Bleaching Flour and Preservative Agent)	-	-	✓
928 & E928	Benzoyl Peroxide (Bleaching Flour and Bread enhancer Agent)	-	✓	-
950 & E950	Potassium Acesulphame (Sweetener)	-	-	✓
951	Aspartame (Sweetener)	✓	✓	-
952 & E952	Cyclamate and Cyclamic Acid (Sweeteners)	-	-	✓
954 & E954	Saccharine (Sweetener)	-	-	✓
1202 & E1202	Insoluble Polyvinylpyrrolidone Insoluble (Stabiliser and Clarifying Agent added to Wine, Beer, Pharmaceuticals)	-	-	✓
1403	Bleached Starch (Thickener and Stabiliser)	-	✓	-

Marco Torres is a research specialist, writer and consumer advocate for healthy lifestyles. He holds degrees in Public Health and Environmental Science and is a professional speaker on topics such as disease prevention, environmental toxins and health policy.