New research suggests possible link

It's something parents have been aware of for some time, but a new piece of research out today by the Food Standards Authority suggests more strongly than ever that there may be a link between certain food additives and hyperactivity.

We say 'may' because the study of 300 children could only say that 'if as child signs of hyperactivity or ADHD then eliminating the colours used in the... study from their diet might have some beneficial effects.'

The test itself looked at the effects of certain food colourings on a group of three-year-olds and a group of eight and nine-year-olds. The children involved were randomly given one of three drinks, on of which contained a high level of colourings and additives, one which roughly matched the average daily additive intake of a child of their age, or a drink which contained no additives or colourings at all.

The testers' hyperactivity levels were measured before and after the drink was taken. As you'd expect the drink with the very high levels of additives, had what researchers called 'a significantly adverse' effect when compared with the drink with no additives at all.

A spokesperson for the Food and Drink Federation said that the test didn't represent how additives and colourings were used in food, while Dr Paul Illing, of the Royal Society of Chemistry told the BBC he thought the small number of testers made the validity of the test difficult to establish.

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