What they add to food might subtract from your brain

Ever wonder what effect artificial colorings and flavorings and other food additives might have on your brain?

Here’s a possible clue…

In the late 70s, the New York City school system made some changes in school lunches. The lunchrooms for more than 800 schools stopped serving carbonated soda, required the use of whole wheat hamburger and hot dog buns, and banned all prepared foods that contained non-beneficial additives, including artificial colorings and flavorings.

Four years later, researchers analyzed grades from national standardized tests and found that New York kids increased their average academic percentile ranking by more than 15%.

Previously, this ranking had never changed more than 1% in any two-year period.

Of course, a school-age brain is dramatically different than an adult brain. But I’m going take a leap here and assume that just about any brain is going to work better when it isn’t polluted with artificial ingredients.

To Your Good Health,

Jenny Thompson

Source:
“The Impact of a Low Food Additive and Sucrose Diet on Academic Performance in 803 New York City Public Schools” International Journal of Biosocial Research, Vol. 8, No. 2, 1986,