Does Red Food Coloring or Dye Cause Hyperness?

I think I had a friend growing up that was allergic to red food coloring. My brother has tons of food allergies - nuts, yeast, soy beans, citric acid. He was a BEAR to grow up with the first 5-6 years of his life. His behavior was out of control and hyper a lot. My parents must have read somewhere about this being linked to allergies and had him tested. Once he started seeing an allergist and we cut out those foods for him he was much much better. Maybe there's an allergy there?

L.,

I have heard about blue dyes causing hyperactivity, so its not a far leap to think that maybe red dyes could too. Have you tried eliminating the juice from his diet? Why dont you try just plain old water for a week or so, and see if theres any improvement?

Hi, I think that scientists are still trying to decide whether there is any link between red dyes and behavior, but it does depend on the child. It could be that your son is sensitive or allergic to red dye. I was horribly allergic to red dye as a child. It has gotten better but it still affects me as an adult. It never affected my behavior though, instead I would get hives all over my body that would last for several hours. My daughter is also highly sensitive to red dye. She gets how you describe your son- extremely hyper and unable to listen or control her behavior. I can't even give her most medicines because they make her hyper (benadryl makes her hyper, not sleepy). I buy the stuff without any dyes.
Anyway, my point is that there is no definitive answer to whether red dye is bad for kids. But for me, if I'm not positive that it is good for my daughter, she doesn't get it. Maybe try to replace what you feel are problem foods with something more natural and see if that helps.
Good luck,
K.

Yes it does - I have a friend who always gave her kid the strawberry pop tarts (which isnt actually strawberries just red dye and sugar) and he was always acting out after he had one. She stopped with those and other red dyes and he totally chilled out. I definitely think there is a link. I mean, its a lab created chemical, why wouldn't it cause problems?

I believe one of my friend;s children has something like this, but it has been years since i have spoken to her...bring it up at your next ped. visit.

L.,
My eldest son is very sensitive to artifical dyes and preservatives found in many prepared foods. When we removed these items from his diet, we saw a dramatic change in his behavior. The extreme mood swings and impulse control abated drastically!!!
I recall reading somewhere that a group petitioned the FDA to consider banning artificial dyes from all food products recently. But I'm not sure if there has been resolution.
When my pediatrician and I first discussed this I remember her giving me science articles sighting research supporting the link between ADD-like behavior with artificial dyes. I also recall in my research googling red dye allergy and finding the website red40.com. It had lots of information.
Good luck to you and your son. I hope you find a solution that works for you all.

I think the red dye thing is just another excuse our economy has come up with. Being in daycare I have known alot of kids with the same issues with and without the diagnosis of ADHD. I believe it's more sugar than the dye itself. Too many kids are being labeled when in actuality they are just being kids. If you think about it most tylenol/medicines have red dye in them but that doesn't seem to effect the kids. Start with just cutting down on sugar and do more structure and large motor activities. Hopefully that helps.

All four of my Aunt's kids suffer from ADHD, and I realize that you're not talking about ADHD in your case but it has a link. One of her husbands (I think number 3) believed the story that red dye made the hyperactivity worse. So, they removed all red dye from the home - cereal, juice, kool-aid, jello, EVERYTHING (and after having a daughter allergic to red dye the list is extensive). The end result - there was very minimal change in their behavior. My guess would be, if there is red dye in the juice then it's not 100% juice (and in my world not juice, but a form of kool aid), but also if it's not 100% juice then it likely has added sugar versus natural sugar. That added sugar could be part of the problem. I know, again from experience, that 100% juices do not have artificial dies in them. I would recommend bringing along a 100% juice with you to those events - or deal with the hyperness. Our kids get hyper when they are either really tired or really excited about something, so it could be a response to that. Good luck!!

I heard this too, and when my son was about 3 I started to pay attention to what he was eating because it seemed like sometimes he just went out of control, but for the most part he's a very tranquil child. So I would intentionally give him something with red dye in it and watch his behavior for the rest of the day, then deny red for a few days. There was a marked difference. He is no longer allowed to have red dye unless it is early in the day and we have a busy day ahead where it won't be a problem if he's a bit hyper.
I did the same with my daughter and noticed the same thing. She's already rather hyper, so for now (she's still only 3 1/2) I have forbidden red dye (at least when she's at home--can't control the grandmas!) for her.