This past month a group of doctors and scientists from the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) petitioned the FDA against the use of artificial dyes in foods which are linked to behavioral problems in children.

“Many processed food products marketed to children in the US contain synthetic dyes known to cause behavioral problems while the same products sold on the British market do not contain the artificial ingredients. One such product identified by the CSPI is the strawberry sauce on McDonald’s sundaes. In the US, the red color comes from Red 40. In Britain, the red color comes from actual strawberries.

Other US-marketed products that contain synthetic dyes known to cause hyperactivity and other issues with behavior in children include popular products from the Mars candy manufacturer, such as M&Ms, Skittles, and Starburst Chew candies. The same products sold on the British market contain natural colorings, not the problematic artificial kind.”

Is this a more fruitful approach for Medicine to take when attempting to solve the problem of children’s hyperactivity?

The WSJ and MedHeadlines were one of many news sources which reported on the recent study in the Journal of the American Medical Association which examined the effectiveness of SJW on ADHD. Bottom line, there was no discernible difference between the group which received SJW versus placebo in reducing symptoms associated with ADHD.