By Dr. and Mrs. Buchanan

Do you think your child has ADD/ ADHD? Have you ever considered artificial coloring could be altering your child’s behavior? As many of you know, Dr. Buchanan and I struggled with behavioral issues with our daughter, Teagan who is now almost 4. It’s challenging to parent an intelligent and strong willed child, not to mention trying to parent a child whom possesses aggressive behavior. We did everything as parents to determine what could be the cause of this outrageous demeanor she so often displayed. One day it became clear to us that synthetic food coloring was impacting our daughter’s behavior in a negative way; especially, Red Dye 40.

Dr. Buchanan and I decided to remove this additive from her diet. Not only did we remove artificial coloring from our food and beverages, we included toiletries and medicine on this list as well. Immediately, we saw a difference. We were amazed to see a “different” Teagan. She was happy and very pleasant to be around. She listened to reason and allowed us to discipline her as needed. Removing synthetic food coloring from Teagan’s diet has changed our lives for the better.   

Nowadays, red dye 40 is derived from petroleum. Seriously, what is our society doing consuming this harmful substance. It’s important to read the labels of all products. One will be surprised at how many items contain red dye 40. The product doesn’t even need to be the color red. This ingredient is used to make products look more appealing to consumers.

Our family tries to eat as clean as possible. However, if we consume any processed foods, we read the labels very carefully. Sometimes, it helps to have a go to list of healthy alternatives and which products to avoid.

Healthy Alternatives:

• Water
• Fresh Vegetables
• Fresh Fruits
• Mott’s Apple Juice
• Organic Cereals
• Non GMO popcorn kernals
• Pepperidge Farm Goldfish
• Yogurt colored with beet juice
• Organic and natural candy (purchased from health food store)
• Mentos

Popular Foods and Beverages to avoid or read labels very carefully:

• Soft drinks
• Gatorade
• Most Juices: juices labeled Artificial Coloring
• Popcorn
• Cake Mixes
• Candy
• Gum
• Yogurt
• Cereals
• Jell-O
• Most Medicines, Soaps, Mouthwashes and Toothpastes