September 5, 2007

scientists react to study on hyperactivity and food additives as published in The Lancet

Dr Susan Jebb, Nutrition Scientist, MRC Human Nutrition Research, said:

“While this study is showing an effect of certain additives on hyperactivity in children, it should be considered in context with other key issues regarding children’s diets. Such additives are most likely to be found in foods that we would like to see children eating less of i.e. soft drinks, confectionery and so on, and so it reiterates the general healthy eating messages of encouraging healthier food choices.”

Dr Sue Baic, Dietitian from the University of Bristol, said:

“This is a well designed and potentially very important study. It supports what dietitians have known for a long time that feeding children on diets largely consisting of heavily processed foods which may also be high in fat salt or sugar is not optimal for health. The study supports a shift towards consumption of more relatively unprocessed foods such as fruit, vegetables and wholegrain cereals. Very importantly however it’s not necessary to avoid all processed foods nor all additives -only a specific range of colourings and one preservative have been implicated. Many food additives play a vital role in keeping our food safe and actually preventing health problems.”

Dr Paul Illing, Registered Toxicologist and Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry, said:

“The Lancet’s press release is overstating the case presented in the paper. The paper is, in effect, four studies – two on three year olds and two on eight year olds, in each case using two non-identical mixtures. The paper shows some statistical associations, it is not a demonstration of cause and effect. Mixture A, but not mixture B gave a statistical association with hyperactivity, but the paper does not determine which component of the mixture is responsible or if it is an interactive effect. It supports a hypothesis that certain food additive mixtures may be associated with hyperactivity, without identifying which additives and certainly without identifying this as a feature of all food additives. The hypothesis should be further investigated.

“Extrapolating from the small study population to the general public, let alone to individuals within the general public, is very difficult. The differences seen were probably very small when compared with the inter-individual variation seen within the appropriate general population.

“Nowhere does this study show the food sources of the food additives that children may be exposed to. Thus the important question of whether the diets containing these quantities of food additives are typical of a well balanced diet or are skewed by the eating habits of these two age groups cannot be addressed.”