| What do lead, mercury, and arsenic have in common? | | | | - Flintstones Vitamins - FD&C Red #40 Al Lake, |
| They are all ingredients used in most artificial food | | | | FD&C Yellow 6 Al Lake FD&C Blue #2 |
| coloring. For example, FD&C Red Number 3 | | | | - Tylenol Plus Cold Infant Drops - Red #33 and Red |
| contains lead and arsenic; while FD&C Yellow | | | | 40 |
| Number 5 contains lead, mercury and arsenic. Studies | | | | - Delsym Cough Medicine - FD&C Yellow 6 |
| have shown that lead and mercury are not only | | | | Artificial food coloring has been implicated in several |
| absorbed when ingested, they are also absorbed | | | | studies as a potential catalyst for ADHD. The Journal |
| through the skin. How prevalent is artificial food | | | | of Developmental & Behavioral Pediatrics |
| coloring? Just look in your pantry or your medicine | | | | published information regarding 15 trials with 219 |
| cabinet. Everything from sports drinks, cereals, lotions, | | | | participants - all were double-blind cross-over trials. Just |
| and shampoos to over the counter and prescription | | | | by eliminating artificial food colorings from their diet, |
| medicines contain artificial food coloring. Following are | | | | children's behavior improved significantly. Furthermore, |
| some examples of commonly used items that contain | | | | eliminating food colorings from the diet was one-third to |
| artificial food coloring: Food Items | | | | one-half of the size of improvements typically seen |
| - Gatorade Fruit Punch - Red #40 | | | | with ADHD medication therapy. In addition, an article |
| - Plain M&Ms - Red 40 Lake, Blue 2 Lake, Yellow | | | | published in The Lancet in September of this year also |
| 5, Yellow 6, Blue 1 Lake, Red 40, Blue 1 | | | | confirmed a link between food dyes and ADHD. |
| - Kraft Macaroni & cheese - Yellow 5, Yellow 6 | | | | Several studies also point to the link between lead and |
| - Eggo Waffles - Yellow #5, Yellow #6 | | | | ADHD. One of the most recent was published in The |
| - Fruit Loops Red - No. 40, Blue No. 2, Yellow No. 6, | | | | Journal of Environmental Health Perspectives. |
| Blue No. 1 | | | | According to the Journal, children with blood lead levels |
| - Nutrigrain Blueberry Bars - Red 40, Blue 1 | | | | of more than 2 micrograms per deciliter were four |
| - Strawberry Pop Tarts - Red 40, Yellow 6, Blue 1 | | | | times more likely to be diagnosed with ADHD than |
| Cosmetic Items | | | | children with levels below .8 microgram per deciliter. |
| - Johnson Baby Shampoo - D&C Yellow #10, | | | | The government's acceptable blood lead level is 10 |
| D&C Orange #4 | | | | micrograms per deciliter. The study estimates that |
| - Johnson Baby Lotion - D&C Red 33 | | | | more than 5 million 4-15 year olds in the U.S. have |
| - Dora Foam Soap - May contain FD&C Blue 1, | | | | levels higher than 2 micrograms per deciliter. The |
| FD&C Red 40, FD&C Yellow 5 | | | | American Academy of Child and Adolescent |
| - Disney Chapstick - D&C Red No. , FD&C | | | | Psychiatry, estimates one out of every six children in |
| Blue 1 alum lk | | | | the United States has blood lead levels in the toxic |
| - Crest Kids Sparkle Paste - FD&C Blue #1 | | | | range. |
| OTC Supplementation/Medicines | | | | |