RBS FITNESS MYTH #6:
Updated: Oct 12
"Red No. 40, Yellow No. 5 and 6, Blue No. 1 and 2. are toxic to your health"
No doubt the topic of food dyes on general and mental health factors is running rampant right now, so I figured that I would join in on the fun and address what science actually says on the matter since it's part of my brand. Too simplify, I'll break the blog up into two distinct parts which address and provide the current evidence on food dyes as it relates to cancer since that seems to be one of the most common claims, and the second part will cover potential mental health issues.
Dyes are the new flavor of the month when it comes to fear mongering promoted by the mainstream media.
It's pretty obvious at this point that the food industry and media are going to forever keep the public in this never ending carousel or "information trap." The common perspective is fundamentally incorrect, and their is a lack of focus on the big picture of how nutrition actually works according to both the real world and science. Who honestly knows what the next big scare will be, but I can bet you it will be completely random and ridiculous. It's really whoever the industry selects and decides to bully for awhile until everyone starts to become bored of the idea. Fortunately for you, you have a strong immune system that serves to protect you and none of these predictable ploys ever seem to stick in the long run. Exceptions being those that suffer from true food allergies which are also pretty rare. On a final note, the studies in animals that did detect issues used extreme supra-physiological doses to try and justify their claims made to humans, but to no avail.
Food Dyes on Cancer and Mental Health
"While some evidence suggests synthetic dyes may affect the behavior of a small subset of children, the findings are inconsistent. Similarly, concerns about cancer and food dyes are not based on human evidence.
The conversation about synthetic food dyes highlights a deeper concern about the quality, accessibility and transparency of our modern food supply. Focusing on specific additives is a starting point in examining America's food supply but food dyes are one ingredient in a complex food environment.
Abundant evidence suggests that improving overall diet quality through reducing the intake of foods high in added sugars and unhealthy fats while increasing access to whole, minimally processed foods offers more substantial and equitable benefits to human health. Advocacy efforts should prioritize policies that improve the affordability of and access to healthy, whole foods, rather than sole ingredient re-formulation of processed foods.
Note from the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics: This summary reflects findings from evidence-based research and is a high-level overview of food dyes; this summary is not a comprehensive deep-dive on the topic. The information shared in this summary is up to date as of June 2025." 1
I want to leave you with a recent blog that I wrote which will help you frame nutrition the right way and to see the larger picture, and promotes the quote above. Afterwards it's my sincere hope that you will no longer be inclined to the chaotic industry standard. After all, there are literally dozens of other foods eaten over the course of the week that also have to be taken into genuine account when determining your overall health and performance levels.
SCIENTIFIC REFERENCES:
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