Can food additives affect children’s behavior? A study published in the November 3 issue of the British medical journal The Lancet suggests they can.
A team from the University of Southampton in England measured levels of hyperactivity in 153 three-year-olds and 144 eight- and nine-year-olds. The children were put on a diet free of the additives used in the experiment. Then each day over a six-week period they were given one of two mixtures with artificial coloring and the preservative sodium benzoate, or a plain fruit juice placebo. All the drinks looked and tasted identical.
Researchers observed the children in the classroom and analyzed reports of their behavior from parents and teachers. The older kids were also given a computer-based attention test. The results from all these tests were scored to produce a measure of hyperactivity known as a global hyperactivity aggregate (GHA). The higher the GHA, the greater the ...
