Yesterday I mentioned that people should be more concerned about the fact that there are petroleum products in foods they buy than about how much high fructose corn syrup they are consuming. And I said I would cover that subject in another Blog. Well, today is that day!
I was alerted to the fact that some foods contain petroleum (think "gasoline") when someone very near and dear to me started reacting with what appeared to be seizures every time he ate Eggo waffles (original flavor). It had become his favorite breakfast and he savored every bite as he gnawed away at them in his little high chair. The seizure-like reactions started, maybe, two weeks after they were established as his new favorite food. An allergist warned me that the Yellow 6 in the waffles was the likely culprit. And, while I was at it, it would be a good idea to exclude the very common preservatives BHA and BHT from his diet. I was also told to go to Whole Foods and buy natural, organic children's vitamins. I did as he suggested and the seizures disappeared - forever...
The culprit? Yup, you guessed it. Petroleum. Seizures are an extreme and very rare reaction, but Yellow 6, BHA, BHT, and the coating on many popular vitamins has been linked to severe hyperactivity in some (especially) children, and even to "allergic" reactions such as gastric disturbances in others.
As a slight digression, I have to say that I have a real problem with both Yellow 5 and Yellow 6. Yellow 6 because it is made of "gasoline"; Yellow 5 because it is made of a chemical called "tartrazine", which has been linked to anxiety, migraines, clinical depression, blurred vision, and sleep disturbances. In fact, it has been banned in Norway and was banned in Germany and Austria as well until the European Parliament lifted the ban. (See Yellow5@3DChem.com) Sadly, any non-organic food that has yellow in it more than likely contains Yellow 5 and/or 6. And, if you recall your color wheel from Art class, this would include foods that are green and orange as well. There are other ways to make foods yellow - organic sources, for example, often use Turmeric (which is a wonder-spice that I will discuss in a future Blog).
So, my faithful Blog-pals, I hope that this entry has inspired you to read those labels and get the gasoline out of your diet and leave it in your cars where it belongs. As always, happy and healthy eating to you all!
Wow! What a shock about Yellow.
ReplyDeleteOur Jennie kept breaking out in hives after eating Fruit Loops when we lived in Panama. Since the blue loops had just been added, we decided it must be the blue color. She no longer eats colored cereal at all and avoids blue dyes.
I need to pass this information on to Sarah and Cindy for their kids. They haven't had any reactions, but who can say what is building up inside bodies?
I haven't heard about reactions to the blue dyes yet, but it doesn't surprise me to hear it. I know that Red 40 is a problem for a lot of people. Jennie is smart - it is best to avoid all synthetic food dyes. But, in this country, that is so difficult to do. They're in just about every processed food and in most of the "goodies" that are specifically marketed for children - especially cereals and candies.
ReplyDeleteFor the past 15 years, my oldest son has been pretty careful about avoiding anything with Yellow in it and he has done so well. Good luck to you, Sarah, Cindy, and her children!