The Functional Relationship Between Artificial Food Colors and Hyperactivity

Abstract

The presence of a functional relationship between the ingestion of artificial food colors and an increase in the frequency and/or duration of selected behaviors that are representative of the hyperactive behavior syndrome was experimentally investigated. Two eight-year-old females, who had been on the Feingold K-P diet for a minimum of 11 months, were the subjects studied. The experimental design was a variation of the BAB design, with double-blind conditions. This design allowed an experimental analysis of the placebo phases as well as challenge phases. Data were obtained by trained observers on Out of Seat, On Task, and Physically Aggressive behaviors, as they occurred in the subjects' regular class setting. Results indicated (a) the existence of a functional relationship between the ingestion of artificial food colors and an increase in both the duration and frequency of hyperactive behaviors, (b) the absence of a placebo effect, and (c) differential sensitivity of the dependent variables to the challenge effects.DESCRIPTORS: food additives, dietary management, hyperactive childrenCertain relationships between diet and the physiological health of the body are fairly well understood. Questions, however, are often raised about the dlet's effect on psychological or behavioral manifestations. Recently, Feingold presented a theory that attributes the behavioral syndrome of hyperactivity to the ingestion of t"salicylate-like" natural compounds in foods and artificial flavors and colors. As a treatment for hyperactivity, Feingold (1975bhyperactivity, Feingold ( , 1976 prescribed the K-P diet, which eliminates a wide variety of natural and processed foods, specifically those containing naturally occurring salicylates, e.g., apples, berries, pork, and tomatoes, and all artificial flavors and colors, as well as various items containing artificial flavors and colors, e.g., toothpastes, flavored medications, and mouthwashes. Feingold (1973Feingold ( , 1975a

A Research Model for Investigating the Effects of Artificial Food Colorings on Children With ADHD

“…With the majority of studies conducted before 1990, diagnostic criteria used for sample selection were largely outdated, which raises concerns about the generalizability of results to an ADHD population. [38][39][40][41][42][43][44][45][46][47][48][49][50][51][52][53][54][55][57][58][59]61,62 The outcome assessment methodology used in the majority of studies lacks consistency with current standards for ADHD assessment, which require measuring change in both symptoms of the disorder and functional impairments associated with the disorder and ensuring that measurements are made in multiple settings with multiple informants and different methodologies. 63 These discrepancies raise questions concerning the reliability of the conclusions drawn in these studies.…”

Pills or Skills for Hyperactive Children

“…Interestingly, by far the greatest advertising is for Cylert (pemoline), a new drug whose use is greatly increasing. Of course, other factors such as physicians' ability to save children who might have died from birth complications; increased environmental pollutants, such as lead (Baloh, Sturm, Greene, & Gleser, 1975;Needleman, Gunnoe, Leviton, Reed, Peresie, Maher, & Barrett, 1979); food additives (Rose, 1978); greater public awareness, and more objective assessments of hyperactivity, may well have contributed to the increasing diagnosis of hyperactivity. However, when the potential market for a medication is 5 % of all elementary school children, that market is very big business.…”

“…Although his claims have been tested and found lacking substantiation' for most children in at least five controlled studies (Harley, in press), the Feingold associations, as well as other natural food groups, have been so powerful that they have convinced some food chains to package foods labeled additive and preservative free. Although it is impossible to determine the precise number, probably at least 200,000 children are on the Feingold diet (based on num- 'Rose (1978) [Lambert, Sandoval, & Sassone, 19781 This seemingly straightforward definition of hyperactivity based on overt behaviors is misleading, for, in fact, children with other behavioral problems such as conduct disorders or unsocialized aggressive reactions have the same difficulties, i.e., short attention span, restlessness, and overactivity. Because of the problem of differential diagnosis of children, some investigators prefer the term "minimal brain dysfunction" (Wender, 1971), because the term was purportedly related to the causes of hyperactivity.…”

Case Studies of Effects of Artificial Food Colors On Hyperactivity

“…Finally, Rose (1978) gave challenge and placebo cookies, in a doublecrossover design, to two hyperactive girls whose parents were relying exclusively on the Feingold diet as a means of treatment. For both subjects, out-ofseat and off-task behaviors recorded by &dquo;blind&dquo; classroom observers were greater on days following ingestion of challenge compared with placebo cookies.…”