I'm going to change horses in mid-stream, so to say. There are many other helpful nutrients I could write about, including more vitamins and a large list of minerals and other goodies. However, I've become increasingly concerned about the chemicals put into our foods, especially those aimed at children. So, I'm going to begin a series to help you learn to be savvy and protective for the sake of your children and grands.

Food dyes have been with us for a long time. They started out being manufactured from coal tar. Sound tasty? Now they are made from petroleum. Yum? Many have other additives which is why they are classed as "artificial food dyes."

First, let's start with the well-known but carefully covered fact that the food industry does not have to label everything they want you to buy, especially packaged foods. They deliberately tell you of the wonders of their product, such as how delicious it is. Then in increasingly tiny print, they list what they want you to know about what's in their product. They count on you not to pay attention, or not understand the words, or not know what they do to your body or the bodies of your young ones.

We'll start with food dyes because many of them affect the nervous system, lower immunity, and are toxic to kid's little livers (the main detox organ). No one wants to stunt their child's growth, diminish their IQ, or cause nervous behavioral problems.

Food Dye Red

The FDA which has long ties to the pharmaceutical industry has given the green light to the following food dyes. Most of these are found in candy, and cake icings or gels, among other things. A couple are in sports drinks, Some in ice cream, popcorn, cereal, chips, packaged soups, and certain snacks.

Red # 3. Erythorsine.  Cherry red.                         Red # 40 Allura. Dark red

Yellow # 5. Taartrazine lemony                            Yellow # 6. Sunset yellow (almost orange

Blue # 1 Greenish blue                                          Blue # 2. Royal blue

Green # 3 is given the green light by our FDA, but Europeans said NO.

Citrus Red 2 is used on oranges, hotdogs and some sausages.

They sometimes pretty up the names by lumping them together as "Artificial Color." 91 different dyes have been used at one time or another but are now restricted. Does that send a message to you?

Look at 100daysofrealfood.com for some interesting facts. 

So, do dyes affect children? It's claimed to be a controversial topic. Those who want to use dyes strongly argue that they've been "tested" and side effects weren't proven. Some lesser-known studies are strongly opposed to these very items.

Some health-minded doctors took their child-patients off of all food dyes and saw an improvement in emotional behavior and physical calmness.

Dr. Daniel Amen, a prominent brain researcher is a physician who gets results. He has great concerns about Red 40 because studies link it to damaging the brain in a variety of ways. These issues include allergies, "mind storms" (damage to the electrical activity in the brain causing undesirable behaviors) ADD/ADHD, immune disorders, and even certain gut issues.

California lawmakers are cracking down on the use of toxic ingredients in food. They are propylparaben, potassium bromate, brominated vegetable oil, and Red Dye 3.  See amenclinics.com for more information. Another item that's coming under scrutiny is titanium dioxide. We'll examine more about these things in other articles.

Did you know that the food industry uses 15 MILLION pounds of food dyes every year and Red # 40 is the number one dye used? They may be in dairy products, condiments, salad dressing, frozen desserts, sauces, cereals, and even breakfast bars labeled "natural."

How about your mouthwash, toothpaste, or shampoo? I stopped using most toothpastes some time back and we will explore the use of fluoride another time. Baking soda, Himalayan salt, and a bit of peppermint oil make a good cleansing agent. There are a few other essential oils that some add to their mix.

A number of medical journals have published articles linking ADD/ADHD with food dyes, flavors, and the preservative sodium benzoate. This combo can trigger overreactions in the nervous system resulting in making kids hyperactive. Some parents think the pinky-dinky food snack is giving their child a sugar rush. It can certainly add to it, but it may be partly from the food dye.

Did you know that Red # 40 can trigger migraines, jitters, nervousness, brain fog, and an upset stomach? CSPI  (Center for Science in the Public Interest) reports that these food dyes may even stimulate the growth of cancer.

Have you noticed that hospital patients coming out of great health challenges are often offered red jello as one of their first meals?

Dr. Amen found from his work in brain imaging that Red # 40 can dramatically change the blood flow and action taking place in the brain after consumption of this toxic substance. Some children become aggressive and emotionally fragile.

Here are a couple of other names Red # 40 can hide under. C. I. 16035, C. I. Red No. 40,and  Allura Red AC. Did you know that a hot dog without coloring would be gray?

Here is a carcinogen that may be lurking in one of those food dyes, 4-aminobiphenyl,4-aminoazobenzene and benzidine.  See healthyandnaturalworld.com for more information. When you have knowledge, you are better equipped to take action.

Are there safe, natural coloring agents? Yes. Beet juice extract, curcumin and beta carotene can be used, but they are not as vivid. Manufacturers don't use them because they believe that eye appeal is necessary to coax you into buying their products. Some additives are even addictive.

I haven't shared in-depth the complexities of other food dyes, but hopefully, you get the picture. We'll look at more as time goes by. There are so many issues with what we call "processed food" these days that it's hard to know which way to jump. I've spent many thousands of hours reading and listening to conference researchers over the years. I'm aiming at some of the things that are the most damaging so you can begin to make healthier changes.

It takes work to stay healthy!

Nancy Pidutti, PhD (NHH) RN, Author, Hospital Chaplain

If after reading some of these columns, you want to know more about what I have to share on health, I refer you to my latest book, "How to Stay Healthy in a World Gone Mad: A Handbook for Kingdom Living." I don't deal with the issues I'm going to unlock for you, but show you how to gain and maintain health in other ways.