We’ve long known that it’s best to avoid foods containing additives like artificial colorings for optimal health. These dyes make food, drinks, and medicines more attractive, but their negative health impacts are starting to show even though they’re supposedly safe for consumption.
For instance, one study showed consumption of two specific food colorants — FD&C Yellow No. 5 (tartrazine) and FD&C Red No. 3 — resulted in deteriorating behavior in hyperactive children. Another indicated that removing these dyes improved behavior in hyperactive children and resolved their sleep and bed-wetting problems.
Also, nine of the approved food dyes have been linked with conditions such as cancer, allergic reactions, and sinus issues.
Now, researchers have found that some artificial colorants can cause gastrointestinal disease when the immune system becomes impaired.
Specific Food Dyes Cause Colitis
A recent study found that mice that consumed food with artificial food dyes FD&C Red 40 and Yellow 6 — the most commonly used in the world — developed colitis, a form of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), when a specific component of their immune system, cytokine IL-23, was impaired.
IBD affects millions of people globally, and both genetic predisposition and environment appear to play a role in its development. However, the exact environmental factors have not yet been pinned down.
Cytokine IL-23 dysregulation is one factor that’s been identified in human IBD development. As a proinflammatory cytokine, it has a helpful role in the immune system, but dysregulation causes it to go overboard. Medicines that block its function are now used successfully in patients.
For the study, researchers created mouse models with dysregulated cytokine IL-23. When given a diet containing Red 40 or Yellow 6, the altered mice developed colitis, while those with a normal immune system did not.
Interestingly, the mice with impaired cytokine IL-23 did not develop IBD spontaneously despite the role that specific dysregulation plays in the disease.
Researchers found that the increased use of processed foods, dyes, and food additives in the human diet in the last century correlates with an increase in the incidence of inflammatory and autoimmune diseases.
How To Avoid Food Dyes
The most effective way to kick food dyes out of your diet is to avoid eating ultra-processed foods, especially snack foods like chips and crackers, sugary cereals, candy, soda, and processed meats.
Watch out for sneaky sources of food colorants, like canned fruit, pickles, and peanut butter.
Instead, head for the produce section and buy plenty of fresh, organic fruits and vegetables. And if you’re eating fish, try to buy wild varieties since farm-raised fish such as salmon often contain artificial coloring.
Become a label reader. Food dyes are usually listed by a color followed by a number, like Red 3. Sometimes, you may only see “artificial colors added.”
Ultimately, a balanced gut microbiome and immune system can be your strongest ally against environmental sources that can cause dysregulation and lead to problems with your immune system. Reduce inflammation by eating a whole foods diet and avoiding additives as much as possible.
When you consider how many fake-colored foods abound, especially kid-friendly ones, I guess it’s not so surprising that Americans are now eating five times as much food dye as we did in 1955.
If you’re still concerned, going organic is the easiest way to avoid dyes. Look for foods bearing the green-and-white USDA-certified organic label, but be aware that foods labeled and made with organic ingredients may still contain synthetic dyes.
You can also cut back on or cut out synthetic food dyes and trade processed, colored food for naturally colorful, unprocessed fruits and vegetables. However, the main thing when you purchase processed foods is to avoid the numbers. Food dyes appear in ingredient lists as the name of a color with a number following it: Blue 1 and 2, Citrus Red 2, Green 3, Red 40, Yellow 5 and 6.
To learn more about food dyes and how they affect your body, get a FREE Consultation with one of our doctors (D.C) here.
