Danger to Children from Food and Drink Additives is Exposed
The message you just read is, at the very least, disturbing. And coming, as it does, from a reliable newspaper, the Guardian in England, it's not one that can easily be dismissed.
But knowledge is power. And the article offered lots of valuable information for parents on what is happening and what they--and you--might do.
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The newspaper article reported the results of a major study that was carried out in England. It showed that hyperactivity and disruptive behavior are linked to children's consumption of drinks, sweets and cakes containing specified artificial additives.
In the research, scientists studied the responses of 153 three-year-olds and 144 eight to nine year-olds to different products; containing various additives, such as artificial colorings and the preservative sodium benzoate, which are commonly used in soft drinks. They found that these substances had "deleterious effects" on the children's behavior.
As a result of the study, the government Food Standards Agency has significantly changed its guidelines about which food parents should avoid giving to their youngsters. Their action has resulted in a debate that is familiar to us on this side of the Atlantic. Some claim that the government should have taken a tougher line by banning the additives completely. Others say that parents should be informed and left to make their own decisions.
This controversy will continue for a long time to come. In the meanwhile, parents face a difficult, but important, challenge of getting their children to abandon the tantalizing food and drinks that, like the Pied Piper, have been leading them down a destructive path.
