A food coloring found in dozens of family-favorite snacks can trigger serious intestinal illnesses, scientists warn.
Red 40, also known as Allura red, is used to dye food red and is found in Doritos, Skittles, and some Pepsis, as well as baked goods like Pillsbury Toaster Strudel and Duncan Hines Classic Yellow Cake Mix.
But researchers at McMaster University in Canada found that the additive can hamper the intestine’s ability to absorb nutrients, water and electrolytes, increasing a person’s risk of developing inflammatory bowel disease.
They say that this wearing down of the body’s defenses makes people more susceptible to ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease.
While the study was conducted in mice, the Ontario-based researchers reported that the findings would carry over to humans in Western countries, whose diets typically contain high amounts of food dyes.
Popular soft drinks like Pepsi Blue and Mountain Dew Code Red contain Allura red food coloring
Candy, including Skittles and M&Ms, contain the food coloring, which has been linked to hyperactivity in children.
The popular Nacho Cheese Doritos contain Red 40, which gives the chips their bright red color.
Commonly found in soft drinks, frozen desserts, candy, dairy products, and more, red 40 food coloring has been linked to hyperactivity in children, as well as mental and behavioral problems.
Dr Waliul Khan, a researcher at McMaster University in Canada, said: “These findings have important implications for the prevention and control of intestinal inflammation… What we have found is surprising and alarming, as this food dye Common synthetic is a possible dietary trigger for IBD.
Researchers from Ontario, Canada published their findings in the journal Nature Communications.
The scientists looked at several common synthetic dyes in a human enterochromaffin (EC) cell model and concluded that Allura Red promotes the secretion of serotonin, 95 percent of which is found in the intestine.
Using mouse models that consumed Allura Red dye for 12 weeks, the researchers found increased serotonin production in the colon and disrupted gut microbiota, leading to cases of colitis.
The researchers also found that red food coloring increases serotonin production, which subsequently alters the composition of the gut microbiota and increases susceptibility to colitis.
Colitis is a chronic condition that causes ulcers and sores in the digestive tract. It affects the colon and rectum and can cause a variety of inflammation-related problems, including abdominal pain and bloating, diarrhea, dehydration, and blood in the stool.
Inflammatory bowel diseases, such as colitis and Crohn’s disease, a chronic condition that causes inflammation in the digestive tract, are estimated to affect an estimated three million Americans.
The use of food colors has increased over the past 100 years or more, but there have been few previous studies on the effects of these colors on gut health.
The Food and Drug Administration has regulatory jurisdiction over food colors used in foods, drugs, and cosmetics. Still, the chemicals in the dyes have been linked to a myriad of conditions.
Dr Khan said: “The literature suggests that Allura Red consumption also affects certain allergies, immune disorders and behavioral problems in children, such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.”
Studies have suggested an association between the consumption of food dyes and hyperactivity in children.
An April 2021 analysis of studies commissioned by the state of California reported that of a total of 25 studies on the topic, 16 identified some association between food coloring and neurobehavioral problems, “particularly exacerbation of attention, as in children with attention deficit. hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and other behavioral outcomes’.
Red 40, as well as Yellow 5 and Yellow 6 contain benzidene, a human and animal carcinogen allowed at low, presumably safe levels, in dyes. The FDA calculated in 1985 that ingestion of free benzidine increases the risk of cancer to just below the threshold for “concern,” or 1 cancer in 1 million people.