The FDA is finally weighing the evidence collected by consumer advocates, doctors, and other researchers over the course of the last few decades to determine whether hyperactivity in children is caused by (or tied to) certain additives commonly used in processed foods.

In a meeting today and tomorrow the FDA advisory committee will weigh the evidence and, in light of such findings, debate whether the use of food additives and food labeling standards should be more stringent or decide that proof is still insufficient to conclude that certain artificial dyes are causing attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in children.

Why is the FDA acting now, when this issue has been discussed and debated for over decades?

The Center for Science in the Public Interest asked the FDA to ban 8 dyes, including Yellow #5, which can be found in numerous processed foods and drinks including Gatorade and Lucky Charms, for their potentially harmful effects on health.

How likely is the FDA to ban Yellow #5 and other artificial food dyes? I think at best it is 50-50. Without concrete evidence that these dyes do, in fact, cause ADHD or some other developmental or health problem, the FDA, in my opinion, is unlikely to require such drastic change in the supply and composition of products from many of the nation’s top processed food producers. No action was taken today and additional testimony will be heard tomorrow.

What is the evidence in support of the ban? Research is not conclusive, although there is evidence that such artificial dyes will exacerbate symptoms in people who already have ADHD. It is difficult to have conclusive answers because there are so many dyes and other artificial ingredients in most processed foods that without additional trials it is hard to tell which one is causing ADHD or other health concerns.

One English study eliminated ALL artificial dyes from the “test group’s” diet and found that preschoolers’ hyperactivity reduced significantly.

That is enough proof for this mom.

Read more at ABC and CNN