Does Anyone Know Much About Sensitivity to Food Preservatives and Dyes?

Hi C.,
I've been dealing with this since my daughter was a wee one of about 12 months. My baby sister dealt with it as well so I was on the lookout for it.

I highly recommend you start shopping at PCC or Whole Foods or the like depending on what area your in as that will make it a lot easier on you. i.e. I know anything w/food color in it at Whole Foods uses natural sources no artifical colors.

Also, I can buy sprinkles and food coloring at Whole Foods for special occassions that are safe for my daughter because the colors are sourced from food. (though be forewarned they're pricey so you may want to start well in advance of a holiday baking session and buy one here and there as they're over $5 each)

My DD is allergic to artificial sweetners, preservatives, artifical colors, formaldehyde (Q-15 aka Quaternium-15), almonds, hazelnuts, pistachios, milk (goat & cow), cheddar, parmesan & cottage cheese, mustard, coconut, and sugar.

I had her tested through a naturopath with a lab on the East Coast (Great Smokies Diagnostics) it was expensive (and insurance didn't pay for it) but it was so worth it. It identified exactly what we were dealing with so we could get past it and move on.

That said eliminating my sister's food allergens (to the things you describe) helped with the behaviors you describe. My mom also used to take her to the track and let her run a bunch of energy out.

If you're dealing with those things, you may want to watch for other sensitivities. My DD developed eczema but when she was 11 months old and that's when we did the elimination diets and blood allergy test but they didn't get rid of the eczema. What we found finally worked for that was getting rid of the chemicals in our home (esp. the Q-15) found in her personal care and laundry products. I found a store to shop at online that has safer products and we've been eczema free ever since.

I hope this helps, let me know if you have any questions.
C.
BeHappierAtHome.com

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My eight year old is sensitive to food colorings, flavorings and/or preservatives. I haven't taken the time to investigate exactly what triggers her (though I agree that's a great idea), but we eat little enough processed food that I notice the difference when she does have some. It seems to be mostly the artificial coloring- Something seems to take over her body that she can't control and she'll get very upset about the littlest dissapointments. She used to ahve a lot of kicking and screaming fits- very terrible behavior at those times, now she'll generally take herself to her room, rest for a while and come out much better...Or I ask her to go outside if the weather's ok. Oh, and her reaction is not to sugar because she doesn't have the same thing happen when she eats baked goods without coloring and preservatives, such as homemade cookies or cake.

When I do my grocery shopping I look for products without artificial coloring or MSG or anything I can't pronounce or don't understand. I also don't usually buy it if it lists "coloring" or "flavors" as an ingredient, even if it claims to have "natural" coloring or flavoring. Those terms are a way for the food manufacturer to get around listing all their ingredients. If the manufacturer doesn't want me to know what's in there, I have to presume it's something I don't want my family to eat.

As far as eating out, there are a lot of local independent restaurants that have excellent natural and wholesome foods in my area and probably in yours, too. Look for soup and sandwich shops, maybe a taqueria or indian food restaurant in your area and you can ask them whether they use MSG or colorings, or prepared foods that have those ingredients. Another good place to start is the deli counter at your local natural food store or co-op.

I hope that helps.

Oh, and it could be very helpful to make sure your son is getting enough omega-3 fatty acids in his diet. There is some evidence that lack of Omega-3 fatty acids can lead to aggression, hyperactivity and depression, though these links haven't been studied thoroughly. Omega-3s are found primarily in fish, and also in flax seed, green vegetables, some nuts (especially walnuts) and some whole grains. You can buy flavored fish oils in your local health food store.

And.....I agree with the mama that wrote about the terrible twos. remember that your son is two. His brain is still developing, especially his concious self-control. It is pretty normal for kids that age to get frustrated when they can't communicate or are prevented from doing something they want, and to have lots of energy, which will come out in unpleasant ways if he doesn't have plenty of healthy outlets for excercise and exploring his environment.

Best wishes,
-L. T

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When my oldest daughter was little. We had times when it was like demons taking control of her little body. We charted her food and drink intake and found that "APPLE JUICE" was the problem. She also had problems with certain cough medicines. Dyes and preservatives where my guess. None of the doctors would agree that this was the problem, but once we stopped the apple juice she did great. Keep a record of everything he eats and drinks. You may be surprised what you find.

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Hi C.! I'm J.! Yeah...when my son was little he used to bounce off the walls and his doctor wanted to put him on drugs.
I didn't like that idea at all, so I read up on approaching the
problem naturally, with a healthier diet, avoiding RED DYES in ANY food (my son LOVED the raspberry jello, a real NO NO), getting him to exercise a LOT by taking him to the local park
every day, and getting rid of the chemical cleaners in my home. Did you know that kids can have an allergic reaction to the fumes left over from you cleaning your home with chemicals (go to www.backtonatural.fourpointmoms.com to request more info). Anyway, it was the BEST thing for him! His allergies cleared up and I followed all that up with teaching him at
home because the schools undid everything I was trying to do with him and THEY were insisting on the drugs, too!!! Hope
this helps. Stay drug free with your kids, and learn more
about what you can do naturally to help your two-year-old.
Good luck and hope to hear from you!
:>) J.

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I have 5 children (4-19) and all of them and I are very sensitive to colors, preservatives and flavorings in food. The vast majority of them are made from petroleum and as there are over 3200 of them allowed in our food in the USA, they are causing much unnecessary misery to countless people. There is an organization started by a doctor that can give you a great deal of background and coping techniques on this. It can be found at www.feingold.com I struggled with it on my own for years before I finally found them by accident. SO many people researching and reporting reactions and issues with this,and alternatives,has been a life saver for me! Fortunately, there are more and more organic and chemical free products produced every year so ... that has helped a lot. I wish more people knew for their poor children and for themselves. The additives make people disconnected and/or very reactive (aggression or crying) depending on the chemical and their own reaction. Very difficult. It's very dramatically obvious when any of us are "under the influence" of these chemicals. Good luck. Hang in there! It will get much better with more info for you.

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