Healthy, Not Hyper, Kids!

Eliminating artificial food colourings and benzoate preservatives from the diet of young children can significantly reduce hyperactive behaviour, according to a UK study. The findings, published in Archives of Disease in Childhood, are based on healthy children rather than those with a known food chemical sensitivity or hyperactivity. Researchers concluded that removing additives from children's diets in general could benefit all children.

Where Additives Are Found

Additives linked with problem behaviour are in soft drinks and cordial, lollies, flavoured snacks, crisps, biscuits, takeaway food and ice-cream. However, they also lurk in apparently healthful foods, such as bread and yoghurt! A smaller Australian study has also demonstrated that behaviour worsened in about half of children tested with bread containing calcium propionate (282), a preservative. The preservative is found in an increasing range of Australian and New Zealand foods, such as bread, crumpets and hamburger buns.