Why You Should Never Consume Artificial Food Dyes (Coloring) | Healthy Living
Why You Should Never Consume Artificial Food Dyes (Coloring) | Healthy Living For the past several weeks, Dr. Brian Stenzler shared about three of my four food dealbreakers mentioned in his book, DREAM Wellness: The 5 Keys to Raising Kids for a Lifetime of Physical and Mental Health. These are corn syrup, artificial sweeteners and hydrogenated oils. As promised, this week he will let you know why you should never consume artificial food dyes (coloring) and how to avoid them. While these are not the only ingredients you should consider avoiding, if you want your body to look, feel and function the way you desire, then there is no place for these items in your or your family’s diet, PERIOD. What are artificial food dyes? Artificial food dyes are synthetic, chemically engineered petroleum pigments that provide various food and beverages with vibrant colors. Yes, the same petroleum that is made from crude oil that also makes gasoline and paves the highways. Artificial food dyes have no impact on taste and offer no nutritional value to the item. They simply make candy, cereal, vitamins, and snacks more aesthetically pleasing to the eye. At the same time, some research and a plethora of anecdotal evidence demonstrates that they can lead to a litany of health issues including cancer, behavioral problems, hypersensitivity reactions and ADHD. If you and your children are consuming foods that have bright colors, and they are not fruits or vegetables, there is a good chance that they have artificial food dyes in them. They are found in thousands of sports drinks, baked goods, sodas, breakfast cereals, candies, snack foods, frozen desserts, salad dressings, and even pickles. Heck, even smoked salmon and conventional (non-organic) fruits such as oranges are often bathed in dyes to brighten their color. Even more concerning, they are often used in certain vitamins and medications, including those designed to treat behavioral and hyperactivity issues. While U.S. regulatory agencies like the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) deem artificial food dyes to not pose significant health risks, they openly acknowledge that some of the ingredients within the dyes have been shown to be cancer causing and affect some children’s mental health and behavior. For example, Red 40, Yellow 5, and Yellow 6 contain benzidine, a known human and animal carcinogen. They just claim that the potentially harmful ingredients are in “safe” amounts. The artificial food dyes most likely found in your food items are: Red No. 3 (Erythrosine): A cherry-red coloring commonly used in candy, popsicles and cake-decorating gels. Red No. 40 (Allura Red): A dark red dye that is used in sports drinks, candy, condiments and cereals. Yellow No. 5 (Tartrazine): A lemon-yellow dye that is found in candy, soft drinks, chips, popcorn and cereals. Yellow No. 6 (Sunset Yellow): An orange-yellow dye that is used in candy, sauces, baked goods and preserved fruits. Blue No. 1 (Brilliant Blue): A greenish-blue dye used in ice cream, canned peas, packaged soups, popsicles and icings. Blue No. 2 (Indigo Carmine): A royal blue dye found in candy, ice cream, cereal and snacks. A few other dyes are approved in some countries but banned in others. Green No. 3, also known as Fast Green, is approved by the FDA but banned in Europe. There are some natural food colorings and sprinkles that of course you can purchase on Amazon, and here are some that I recommend: https://amzn.to/3taQHSd https://amzn.to/3GEbhju https://amzn.to/3t8w5u3 https://amzn.to/3Nb2EPP https://amzn.to/3M1mvjf https://amzn.to/3M8xYNY (For article references and sources, visit https://wellnesswikis.com/dyes) #wellnesswikis #wellnesswiki #BrianStenzler #parenting #healthyliving #healthyeating #healthyparenting #consciousparenting #wellnesslifestyle #healthyaging #diet #relaxation #mentalhealth #mentalwellness #nutrition #mindset #exercise #balance #happy #happykids #healthykids #parentingtips #parentingstyles / @drbrianstenzler
