Could Food Dyes Actually Protect Against Cancer?
Everyone remembers the red dye cancer scare from the early 90’s and the subsequent bags of redless M&M’s or cans of cherry-less fruit cocktail.
It was found that large amounts of it caused cancer in lab rats, but as more research was done it was determined that small amounts of it were safe and the health risks were small, though certain uses are still banned today. Many manufacturers switched to a different red dye anyway.
However, a recent study has found that some dyes might be good for you and could actually protect against cancer!
A researcher in Oregon added aflatoxin (a highly toxic carcinogenic) with and without the dye to food pellets that were given to trout. Nine months later she found that those who were given the aflatoxin with the dyes had 50% fewer liver tumors, 50% lower incidence of stomach cancer and a 40% lower incidence of liver cancer compared with those that had been exposed to just the aflatoxin alone.
Obviously a lot more research needs to be done, but it sounds like an interesting breakthrough! What do you think?
Tags: aflatoxin, cancer, Chocolate, Chocolate Links, Chocolate News, Chocolate-Products, food dye, lab rats, M&Ms, red dye, red dye #3, tumorsRelated Stories
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3 opinions for Could Food Dyes Actually Protect Against Cancer?
cybele
May 12, 2008 at 11:26 am
Hmm, what’s good for fish is good for me?
(It was actually the red dye #2 scare in the seventies that prompted the disappearance of red M&MS - which were not colored with red #2. Since then yellow #5 has been linked with hyperactivity.)
6th Floor Blogger
May 12, 2008 at 12:15 pm
I doubt dye’s are really good for you, in fact I’ve heard plenty about them being bad for you. I don’t imagine a little bit is a big deal regardless, even the amount (3oz in the recipe I use) in Red Velvet Cake probably isn’t much. I’ve heard dermatoligists suggest avoiding them for allergies. I think I could do without them in producs like bread(potato hamburger buns) or pillsbury rolls, or pickles!
Heather
May 12, 2008 at 2:04 pm
Ah! Thanks, Cybele! #3 didn’t sound quite right but I couldn’t find any other info.
Should be interesting to see how or if this plays out, though!
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