Food Dye Allergies:
More Than a Fly in Your Honey

If you or someone you love has food dye allergies, you'll probably notice hyperactivity and behavioral problems, especially in children.
But like all allergies and intolerances, reactions can vary pretty widely
from person to person.

In my sons, sensitivity to food dyes showed up the same way many of their other food problems did — through stomach pain from intestinal swelling.

Worst Culprits

Red #40 and Yellow #5, two commonly used food dyes, are the ones most strongly associated with food dye allergies. If you sprayed Red 40 on a plant, the dye would kill it. Hmmm.

And Yellow #5, also known as tartrazine, used to made from coal tar. Yum. Now it, along with most other dyes (food and non-food) come from petroleum and natural gas. Yellow 5 is currently banned in Norway, and is in the process of being phased out (along with seven other artificial colors, including Red 40) in the UK. This decision was motivated by public pressure after the results two recent studies became known.

These studies involved children from a general population sample (not just ones whose parents thought they had food dye allergies), and concluded that artificial food dyes (as well as the preservative sodium benzoate) have a significant behavioral effect on children, particularly in increasing hyperactivity. Here's one study; click here for the other.

Interestingly, the negative effects of food dyes have been studied and known for over 30 years, but the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has actually quintupled (yes, increased five-fold) the amount of food dye allowed for use per person, per day in the last 53 years!

It's true that the dyes still occur in foods in relatively tiny amounts — notice that they're near the end of the ingredient list on the foods' packaging. But these ingredients are NOT foods — they're petrochemicals. They're not good for anyone! They build up in a person's system over time, and for those who are sensitized to them, they can cause alarming reactions.

Symptoms

As mentioned earlier, behavioral problems and hyperactivity are most widely known as symptoms of food dye allergies. Food dye allergies are often confused with sugar sensitivity, since most (but not all) food dyes are found in sugary foods. People can also show symptoms such as migraine headaches or an upset stomach. These reactions, though, may be called "intolerances" since they don't involve the same antibodies as a classical allergic reaction (i.e. hives, eczema, sniffling, even anaphylaxis). To confirm these food dye allergies or intolerances, an IgG test, like the ELISA, may be useful. But an easier and less expensive route is to simply eliminate all food dyes and additives from your diet or your child's, then watch for a change. You can read more about this at Dr. Feingold's website.

People can also have classical allergic reactions to food dyes. Look for hives, swelling of hands, feet, or face (angioedema), asthma, and allergic itching leading to eczema (rash). Conventional allergy testing involving the IgE antibodies can confirm these food dye allergies. Yellow 5 does seem to create classical allergy symptoms more often than Red 40; also, some doctors believe those with Yellow 5 allergy are often also allergic to aspirin.

Foods to Avoid

Beware of packaged foods! Become a careful label reader. Here's a partial list of foods to watch out for, to start:

• Candy

• Cakes made from a mix
• Commercial baked goods (breads, cakes, pies, etc.)
• Commercial frostings
• Packaged breakfast cereals
• Soft drinks
• Pink grapefruit juice
• Ice cream
• Puddings
• Anything sweet you buy in a package!
• Pickles
• Some noodles
• Chips (think Doritos and Cheetos)
• Packaged dinners, frozen dinners
• Lunchmeats
• Bacon bits
• Medications (ask if a dye-free form is available)

Foods to Eat

Whole, natural foods are the way to go if you or someone you love is sensitive to food dyes. High-quality meats, whole grains, and fruits and vegetables will eliminate symptoms and improve your overall health! Click here to go to my delicious recipe page.

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