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Article by by Jennifer Webb
I first became intensely aware of food chemicals and behaviour , (the relationship between the two) in the first year of my oldest child's life. My kids are now 9 and 6 years old but when the oldest was a baby he showed signs of mild eczema and as he developed I noticed behavioural changes (so did his prep teacher, not just with him, but with many other kids with brightly coloured packets of 'food' in their lunchboxes) with certain food additives. |
I launched myself on a learning campaign and over the years I have shared my findings with any parent that shows an interest in food chemicals and behaviour, as the overwhelming winners in the modern food war are the manufacturers who, due to the reality of their business, prioritize shelf-life, fake colour and amazing unreal flavours over and above the health and well being of their consumers, especially children whose smaller and less mature systems are particularly affected by these chemicals.
Governments do not have the funds (or even the legal mandate) to research food chemicals and behaviour and make sure that these companies use only safe additives. The onus in many countries is on the company to do the research. Scientists have 'come out' after their period of obligatory confidentiality is over and spilled the beans on many findings on harmful effects that many global manufacturers and producers would rather that we didn't know about.
Browse some additive free recipes your kids will love
Download a small pdf guide to additives we should avoid when shopping
Visit the food intolerance network website, a great resource on food chemicals and behaviour.
Another all-powerful negative corporate example is the marketing might of the dairy corporations worldwide, funding school programs that promoted milk as one of the most important dietary components. Read this scientist's personal and professional findings on the link between cows milk and human breast cancer,(not to mention asthma, eczema, upper respiratory problems and digestive symptoms.)
http://www.rense.com/general35/av.htm
Dont get too excited about a diet high in soy either. Do a little googling for scientific studies and you'll find several showing......- ' those who ate the most tofu during midlife had up to 2.4 times the risk of later developing Alzheimer's disease'
- "provides evidence that soy (tofu) phytoestrogens cause vascular dementia. Given that estrogens are important for maintenance of brain function in women; that the male brain contains aromatase, the enzyme that converts testosterone to estradiol; and that isoflavones inhibit this enzymatic activity, there is a mechanistic basis for the human findings."
- The most serious problem with soy may be its use in infant formulas. "The amount of phytoestrogens that are in a day's worth of soy infant formula equals 5 birth control pills," says Mary G. Enig, Ph.D., president of the Maryland Nutritionists Association. She and other nutrition experts believe that infant exposure to high amounts of phytoestrogens is associated with early puberty in girls and retarded physical maturation in boys.
What about diabetes?
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080505093047.htm
How in the name of the proverbial do I provide my child with enough calcium without cows milk or soy products?
Open this page for a table of non-dairy, calcium-rich foods and a list of food additives to avoid | 
