Among the list of harmful ingredients to avoid that my son's doctor told me to avoid are food dyes.
Food dyes or food coloring or artificial food colors are known to increase or trigger symptoms in those with autism or that have ADHD.
Europe requires food labels on any foods to have a warning label that says "consumption may have an adverse effect on activity and attention in children”. If it does this for all children in general, then how much more it can affect those with autism or those with ADHD.
Food dyes can cause severe allergic reactions and hyperactivity. Most importantly they contain a cancer causing compound that also increases free radicals in the body.
You will be amazed where these food dyes are found and how common they really are. Next time you buy groceries, read the ingredient list, if it has food dye, find an alternative that does not contain food dye or make it homemade from scratch.
Foods that contain food dye are: Cereals such as fruit loops (which are loaded with tons of sugar with little nutritional value), Mac n Cheese, Ritz Bits Cheese Sandwiches, popsicles, fruit roll-ups, Pop Tarts, Eggo Blueberry Waffles, pickles, salad dressings, many beverages (soft drinks, powdered drinks, sports drinks), candy, gum, pudding, ice cream, snack foods, dairy products such as yogurt (plus many contain aspartame as well), jelly, jam, condiments (mustard, horseradish, dips, marinades), powdered sauces, rice mixes, boxed potato mixes, instant soups, baked goods, canned fruits such as cherries, liquid antibiotics, shampoos, conditioners, lotions, cosmetics, and even your pet's food!
If you really must use food dye, buy natural food dyes. If you find that a food product you like has food dye find the alternative to it in natural or organic food sections. If you are worried about prices, check your grocer's ad for specials, go online to find coupons on their website or social media sites they use, or just do an online search for coupons on that product. Shop at a whole foods or natural foods stores like Trader Joes, Whole Foods, and Sprouts or at any local natural foods market. If you cook at home, you will always know what ingredients are in the foods you and your family eats.
What to do next? Prepare whole fresh foods at home. Eat foods rich in vitamins A, C and E as they are high in antioxidants that fight off free radicals. Free radicals destroy cells and multiply quickly. They damage DNA, and the mitochondria in cells are greatly damaged. The mitochondria cannot repair itself from this damage so easily. The mitochondria plays a large role in autism symptoms. Most children with autism do have high toxic metals in their body. The more toxic metals in a body, the more free radical activity because the heavy metals cause the free radicals to multiply even more rapidly. This is why chelation therapy is performed. Supplements that are beneficial to fighting off free radicals are Coenzyme Q10, Maharishi Amrit Kalash, grape seed extract, and microhydrin. The body constantly repairs and replaces free radical damaged cells. However, pollution, foods and lifestyles overwhelm the body with more free radicals than our body can deal with. Thus it is necessary to use multivitamins and supplements to strengthen the body's ability to fight off free radicals. Agents that cause free radical problems besides heavy metals are pesticides, alcohol, cigarette smoke, air pollution, smog, soot, exhaust, toxic waste, herbicides, UV light, background radiation, drugs, cadmium, and ionizing radiation.
Free radicals increase heart disease, strokes, arthritis, allergies and cancer. Free radicals are known to speed up the aging process.
Did you notice in the picture above that even children's multivitamins include artificial coloring? My son's multivitamin does not contain artificial coloring, or for that matter... no artificial flavors or sweetners. Plus, the multivitamins are patent-pending with Oligo that "naturally binds minerals to organic compounds to protect the potency of antioxidants and to improve nutrient solubility." Thus nutrients are delivered in a form that "mirrors how they are naturally found in fruits, vegetables, and other whole foods for energy, vitality, and balanced nutriton." If you would like to learn more about Oligo, or the children's multivitamin my son uses, please feel free to go to
http://www.MakingHealthyHomesMatter.com/, or if you would like to do your part in sharing with others about having safer, better, eco-friendly, and cost-effective products, feel free to
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