When taking my child to the supermarket, he is always attracted by the brightly colored candies. Sometimes, I really can't resist his cajoling and give in, but I know these brightly colored candies pose significant health risks, and I must not be soft-hearted.
Where do these bright colors come from?
The colorful coatings on food are made from colorings, which are divided into two categories: natural and artificial. Natural colorings are extracted from plants and animals. They are a safe and ideal choice for food coloring, but their sources are limited, they are expensive, and thus they are not widely used.
Artificial colorings, on the other hand, are derived from coal tar. They come in many varieties, have vibrant colors, are low-cost, and are strong in coloring power, which is why they are widely used.
What health risks do artificial colorings pose?
Because the process of synthesizing artificial colorings may introduce harmful substances such as arsenic and mercury, they can have varying degrees of negative effects on human health, especially for children. The main impacts are as follows:
1. Causing metabolic disorders
Long-term consumption of colored foods can deplete the body's detoxifying substances. Primarily, it damages the body's subcellular structures, interferes with the normal function of various active enzymes, and affects the metabolic processes of sugars, fats, proteins, vitamins, and hormones. This can lead to diarrhea, bloating, abdominal pain, malnutrition, and various allergic reactions such as rashes, hives, asthma, and rhinitis.
2. Leading to chronic poisoning
Children are in a stage of growth and development, and their liver's detoxification function and kidney's excretion function are not yet fully developed and are weaker than in adults. Therefore, if they consume colored foods over a long period, the colorings will gradually accumulate in their bodies, leading to chronic poisoning and affecting their healthy growth and development.
3. Affecting nerve function
Studies have found that many children who are willful, irritable, and often exhibit impulsive behavior may have an overlooked factor: excessive consumption of artificially colored foods. In addition to social and family education factors, this is also a significant one. Children are in a critical period of growth and development; their organ functions are fragile, and their nervous systems are not fully developed, making them particularly sensitive to chemical substances. Consuming heavily colored foods in excess and for extended periods can affect the nerve impulse transmission in children's nervous systems, leading to symptoms such as hyperactivity, emotional instability, lack of concentration, poor self-control, unusual behavior, and loss of appetite.
It is recommended that when parents buy food for their children, they should try to avoid brightly colored products. Pay attention to checking the ingredient list and try to purchase products made with natural ingredients. If you occasionally buy colored snacks to satisfy your child's wishes, be mindful of the intake amount. Do not consume them excessively or for extended periods to avoid accumulation in the body and poisoning, which can affect a child's growth and development.