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The link between food colouring and preservatives and hyperactivity in kids has been strengthened by a recent UK study. How often have you heard a parent say – maybe you've said it yourself – my child goes stir-crazy when they eat lollies? The link between food colouring and preservatives and hyperactivity has been hugely controversial – not helped by poor quality studies. The evidence, though, supporting a link – at least in some children – is growing. A British study of three-year-olds and eight- and nine-year-olds removed artificial colourings and preservatives from their diet, and then challenged them on separate occasions with drink mixes. One was a placebo, one mimicked the effects of two 50-gram bags of lollies a day, and the other up to four bags. So the doses were reasonably high. The results were a bit confusing in that for some reason, three-year-olds only reacted to one of the active drinks. The older children though, on average, became more hyperactive after both active drinks compared to placebo. The word 'average' is important, because some children were far more additive sensitive than others. There's a lot more to hyperactivity than diet. From the available evidence there isn't much to support radical elimination diets. However, if parents choose to cut out foods with artificial flavours, colours and preservatives, it's probably worth a go. The main side effect is likely to be a healthier child… albeit a whingeing one.
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