A Hidden Danger: The Risks of Consuming Artificial Colors
Within the neon blue syrup and the bright red cake mix exists a harmful ingredient often overlooked. The reader might assume the ingredient is the plethora of refined sugars or the nasty preservatives; rather, the hidden danger is all the way at the bottom of the ingredient list: the artificial colors.
In a rare scenario, one may see the food and immediately stray away from the products due to their artificial colors. The individual will declare to themselves, “I must stay away from artificial colors, so I will go buy something a bit more healthy!” Walking towards the meat and fish section, the shopper happily grabs the bright orange salmon as why would SALMON be injected with an artificial color?
Sadly, many food products contain artificial colors (yes, even the salmon in the hypothetical but very real scenario; however, the dye used in salmon is usually harmless but it still showcases the prevalence of dyes in food products). While artificial colors may seem harmless as they have been a staple in the American diet for decades (which is actually not long at all), research and intuition paints a different picture.
What are artificial colors?
Artificial colors include Red №40, Blue №2, Yellow №6, and many more. Often found in desserts, candy, and various other foods, artificial colors typically hide themselves at the bottom of the ingredient list.
Originally synthesized in 1856, artificial colors were made out of coal tar (a byproduct of coal). The discovery of a vibrant, synthetic dye wowed the world which naturally led to mass production. While the bright color captivated society, skepticism began to rise as numerous health conditions arose from consumption of the synthetic dyes. From When Food Dye Was Made From Coal Tar, “Workers in coal tar color factories developed bladder cancer… vibrant colors hid food imperfections, and food manufacturers used toxic ingredients to synthesize coloring agents… too much butter dye caused kidney damage,” (Ewbank, 2018).
Due to the skepticism in America, the 1906 Pure Food and Drugs Act was signed, limiting the use of synthetic food coloring to only seven colors. Overtime, the number of approved artificial colors rose but the consistent increase eventually stopped. On October 31st, 1950 (Halloween), hundreds of children came down with varying illnesses after eating candy. The FDA noticed the brief “epidemic” (if you will) and decided to discontinue the use of Orange #1, Orange #2, and Red #32. Since then, coloring dyes have been relatively the same without much change.
Today, most artificial colors are instead synthesized using petroleum or crude oil (which is still absolutely disgusting).
Below are the first two steps in creating a petroleum-based dye:
- Raw Materials: The raw materials used in the production of artificial dyes depend on the specific dye being synthesized. Petroleum-based dyes, for example, are typically derived from crude oil or natural gas
- Chemical Synthesis: The synthesis of artificial dyes involves complex chemical reactions. The raw materials are subjected to various chemical processes such as oxidation, reduction, and coupling reactions to create the desired dye molecules. These reactions may involve the use of catalysts, solvents, and other chemicals.
From reading the first two steps, the entirety of society should be extremely fearful of including artificial colors in their or their children’s diets. Any ingredient that undergoes severe modification or is a byproduct of something not entirely appetizing is not suitable for human consumption.
Nonetheless, many will fail to ever consider halting their consumption of artificial colors from understanding only the process in which the dyes are made; therefore, allow me to attempt to further convince the reader:
Artificial colors lead to ADHD (attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder) and cancer (primarily colon/rectum cancer).
The scientific data:
One of the more significant studies in recent years actually led many European countries to outright ban the use of artificial colors.
The study (a randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled trial) looked at whether hyperactivity in children was linked to consumption of artificial dyes (and sodium benzoate which deserves an entire article in itself [always check the ingredients in soy sauce!]). In the end, the kids who consumed the artificial colors were reported to be hyperactive by parents and teachers, as well as a computerized test.
Another study on artificial colors assessed 3 year old children consuming a mixture of artificial colors or a placebo mixture. The study concluded:
“there were significantly greater increases in hyperactive behavior during the active than the placebo period based on parental reports,” (“The effects of… artificial food coloring… on hyperactivity,” 2004).
(Here’s another study with yet again, similar results: Potential impacts of synthetic food dyes on activity and attention in children: a review of the human and animal evidence)
Switching over from neurobehavior to cancer, food dyes are known carcinogens.
According to Hofseth, colorectal cancer is primarily caused by DNA damage, which occurs when mutations develop in cancer driver genes. These mutations instruct cells to divide uncontrollably, leading to the development of cancer. Inflammation is another factor that drives colorectal cancer. Normally, inflammation is a natural response of the immune system to heal injuries or combat pathogens. However, persistent inflammation can harm healthy cells by releasing molecules called free radicals, which can damage DNA. In addition, a type of molecule called cytokines can prolong inflammation and promote increased cell division and the development of cancer in the gut, even in the absence of an injury, (Hofseth, 2021).
For instance, synthetic dyes can be broken down by the bacteria in the gut into molecules that are known to be carcinogenic. Moreover, studies have indicated that artificial food dyes can bind to DNA and proteins inside cells. Focusing on inflammation, research suggests that artificial colors activate the body’s inflammatory response.
In studies conducted on rodents, synthetic food dyes have been found to possibly cause DNA damage:
“Allura Red, or Red 40, and Tartrazine, or Yellow 5, can cause DNA damage in colon cancer cells with increased dosages and length of exposure in vitro in a controlled lab environment. Our results will need to be replicated in animal and human models before we can say that these dyes directly caused DNA damage, however,” (Hofseth, 2021).
But we need artificial colors to make food appealing!
The need for artificial colors in food is unequivocally false. Beets, kale or spinach, turmeric, purple onion peels, and many more natural alternatives prove to be equally as vibrant and colorful as their artificial counterparts:
Conclusion
From the scientific data to the fact that natural dyes exist, artificial colors have no reason to continue to be included in a human’s diet. Cutting out the synthetic food colorings prove to be an effective measure towards eliminating ADHD and cancer risks, as well as better representing an ancestral and evolutionary appropriate diet.
