Additives Linked To Bad Behaviour
September 6th 2007
Food additives have long been rumoured to be aggravating children’s bad behaviour - and new research suggests this may be true. British researchers say they have conducted the first scientific study involving children aged eight and nine to test the impact of additives.
Researchers from Southampton University, UK, studied about 150 three-year-olds and 150 older children to find out the impact of the chemicals on hyperactivity.
They tested children with drinks containing additives, including the preservative sodium benzoate, and with drinks free of the chemicals.
The findings of the research are published on-line by the Lancet today.
The researchers said there were "significantly adverse effects" reported from drinking additives - although there were substantial differences between children.
The researchers led by Jim Stevenson said: "Although the use of artificial colouring in food manufacture might seem to be superfluous, the same cannot be said for sodium benzoate, which has an important preservative function.
"The implications of these results for the regulation of food additive use could be substantial."
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