7 signs your child may have a food intolerance
5. Hyperactivity
Possible culprit: Sensitivity to artificial colors, or even sugar. According to Sears, children’s underdeveloped blood-brain barrier makes them more vulnerable to the neurotoxic effects of chemical food additives, such as artificial colors and monosodium glutamate (MSG).
A 2007 British study linked six food colors with possible hyperactivity in children. As a result, the European Union now requires most foods containing artificial food dyes to carry a warning label. Thus far, the FDA has not issued a similar ban or required additional product labeling. Also watch sugar intake; some kids are literally hypersensitive to the sweet stuff.
Action plan: Buy organic; by definition, organic products are certified to contain no artificial colors. If organic options aren’t available, scrutinize food labels for the nine petroleum-based synthetic dyes currently approved for food use in the United States: Blue 1 and 2, Citrus Red 2, Green 3, Orange B, Red 3 and 40, Yellow 5 and 6. To avoid added sugars, look beyond the Nutrition Facts panel, which combines natural and added sugars for a total amount, to the ingredients list. Words like high-fructose corn syrup, sucrose, glucose, fructose, cane sugar and syrup indicate added sugars.