Article Headline: F.D.A. Panel to Consider Warnings for Artificial Food Colorings
News source: NY Times Online
I don't know how I feel about this article. The research appears to be saying that one of the biggest causes of behavioral problems in children (and probably adults too) is the dyes that are used to color foods. While I'm not 100% comfortable with putting all of those chemicals into my body, I also don't like the idea of drinking colorless Kool-Aid. I know that natural, fresh foods are best for my health and my body. I try very hard to eat all of my daily servings of fruits and veggies and whole grains every day. And, if I'm being honest, I know that I feel better when I eat lean meat, fresh green veggies, and brown rice for dinner. But I think because I'm a person who grew up with processed foods and who doesn't remember a time when "blue" wasn't a viable color for candy and cookies, my body sometimes wants brightly colored foods too.
Maybe that's not fair - it isn't my body that wants blue Jolly Ranchers, it's my mind and my tastebuds. But knowing what I know about the impact of food dyes, I don't know how comfortable I'd be giving MY children blue foods. It is the government's job to decide what foods are safe and what foods can harm us. If they decide that colored foods aren't good for us, I'm going to miss some of my favorite tastes, but I guess it will be for the best.
Interesting side note, I read this article this morning right after I put a packagage of "Colors!" Goldfish crackers on each of my PSSA students' desks. I felt guilty because I thought that I was (possibly) giving them dye, but when I looked at the label, I saw that the crackers are colored with:
Beet Juice
Paprika & Tumeric (spices)
Watermelon Juice
So maybe I WILL be able to give my children colored foods afterall!
2 comments:
Hey Mo Kane!
I just wanted to say that as a kid, red Hawaiian Punch was my drug! I loved it so much, but as for the health aspect of it, well, I'm not so sure there was any. I became extremely hyper whenever I drank it in great amounts and then crashed afterwards, and whether this was a side affect of the sugar in it or the food dye (or a combination of the two) I'm not so sure. As for any long-term affects or serious side-affects of dye I doubt that there is very much at all, and we should definitely not be worrying too much about them.
I understand the need for to be healthy in US, but how can they take the Kool out of "Kool Aid?" That's like taking the the mashed out of taters. If they want to be helathy, why not just drink something else? This is the parents' responsibilty to take care of their children. Let them know what is in the drank, tell them what it does, and ask Timmy and Tammy if they'd ilke ADD. Problem solved.
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