Research uncovers danger of red food dye in gut, behavioral health

December 22, 2022

Red candies, soda, and snacks in bright red colors may appeal to both children and adults. However, this study may cause them to reconsider their favorite red-colored foods.

Allura Red food dye, also known as FD&C Red 40 and Food Red 17, is a common ingredient in candies, soft drinks, dairy products, and some cereals. It is also a dye used to add color and texture to foods. According to researchers at McMaster University, Allura Red food dye may be a potential trigger of inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs), Crohn’s disease, and ulcerative colitis.

Using experimental animal models of IBD, the team, led by Department of Pathology and Molecular Medicine Prof. Waliul Khan and study author Yun Han Kwon, discovered that regular exposure to Allura Red AC is detrimental to gut health and increases inflammation.

According to the literature, Allura Red consumption affects certain allergies, immune disorders, and behavioral problems in children, such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

The researchers said that the dye directly impairs gut barrier function and raises serotonin levels, an intestinal hormone/neurotransmitter that changes the composition of the gut microbiota and increases colitis susceptibility.
The use of artificial food dyes such as Allura Red has increased significantly, but there has been little prior research on how these dyes affect gut health. Khan and his colleagues published their findings in Nature Communications.

This research is a significant development in warning the public about the potential harms of food dyes that we consume every day, said Khan, adding that these findings have important implications in the prevention and management of gut inflammation.

He went on to say that the study suggests a link between a commonly used food dye and IBDs and that further research into food dyes and IBDs is needed at the experimental, epidemiological, and clinical levels. The Canadian Institutes of Health Research funded the research.

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