August 1, 2012
1 min read
Add Us On GoogleAdd SciAmHyperactive kid? Maybe it's the food coloring
By JR Minkel
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Children who consumed a sweetened drink laden with common food-coloring agents and the preservative sodium benzoate were more hyperactive than those who drank identical beverages minus the additives, according to a study published this past September in the Lancet. Parents and teachers rated kids' activity levels after downing the refreshments, finding that those who consumed the coloring and preservative were 10 percent more hyper. The researchers say the survey bolsters the debated notion that additives give kids an extra kick.
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