Ban the Dyes...

Bright red, blue, green fruit snacks…yum. Picture red jello squares. Does your mouth water? Now picture clear jello squares. Tasty? Maybe not. Without the color, there is without a doubt less appeal (unless you actually taste the food).

Most food manufacturers add dyes to many, many foods. For example, yogurt, cranberry juice, popsicles, pop tarts, and even macaroni and cheese often contain dyes including red 40 or blue 5. These dyes have no nutritional value and for purely aesthetic value--the color draws you to the product, but it does not improve the taste.

Having no nutritional value does not mean an ingredient has no affect on our bodies. I'm a firm believer these dyes can highly affect children and adults with a variety of reactions. I first learned the side effect of dyes when my son at approximately 6 months olds took a liquid antibiotic. He went through 3 rounds of antibiotics for an ear infection, yet none of the 3 worked. A very wise pediatrician questioned a potential reaction to the dye in the medication. The fourth type of antibiotic, which was white, worked like a charm.

Was I overreacting? Do you think like my mother--it was just a fluke? You are wrong. Soon after the initial experience, I began paying close attention to dyes in foods. Cameron definitely slept less, ate less, and was fussier after consuming various foods with dyes.

Several years after that first experience with medications and dyes, we moved and were forced to change pediatricians. Well, the new pediatrician thought I had completely lost my mind with my aversion to dyes. Cameron was diagnosed with strep throat and the doctor refused to give him the usual white medication. He wanted to begin treatment with a medium strength medication which contained dyes.

The medication trial was a huge mistake. Within a week Cameron's strep throat progressed several to the degree we ended up in the ER. The ER doc again thought I was nuts (after listening to the background story). The doc warned us that it was almost impossible for a child to test positive for strep while taking the antibiotic that Cameron was taking, even if the meds were not working.

Long story short, Cameron tested positive for strep while taking the lovely purple antibiotic. I've never seen such a perplexed medical staff. The doc and nurses immediately rushed to Cameron with IV fluids and antibiotics.

This story is leading to a sports connection… When Cameron was approximately 5 years old, he started playing t-ball. For the most part, he was a pretty good little player. However, one day out of the blue, Cameron couldn't catch or throw a ball to save his life. He was turning around backwards on the pitcher's mound, getting hit by the ball in the head, back, or wherever, and sitting down randomly while the ball was in play. This was behavior we had never seen before.

After the game ended we asked Cameron what he had eaten earlier at the neighbor's house. It turned out he had eaten several popsicles, which are full of food dyes. There was clearly another strong reaction going on to these additives.

Earlier this week, the Today Show featured a mom campaigning against food dyes. You can read the story here. I'm pleased to see the topic is being brought to light. Please check it out, and please believe the effects are real.

Following the above story, Kraft Foods has agreed to remove artificial dyes from macaroni and cheese and other products. Check out the story here. I'm happy to see change. I wish I had petitioned for this years ago.

In the meanwhile, if you choose to avoid artificial dyes, I recommend shopping at stores such as Trader Joe's which tends to carry natural products. Another trick I learned over the past years is to search generic product ingredients. For some strange reason, generic products tend to have less additives, at least in my experiences.

If you suspect your child athlete reacts to food dyes, please try eliminating these foods from his or her diet. I will be surprised if you do not see good results. I'm a firm believer.