One of my favorite candies used to be Red Vines licorice. Whenever I'd go to the movies with friends, the chewy and cherry red candy was my go-to treat that I'd devour before the conclusion of the previews.
I wasn't ignorant to the fact that eating Red Vines wasn't the healthiest dietary decision. I was actually semi-aware that they were harmful because they are sweetened with corn syrup.
Of course, corn syrup is a metabolic felon of its own. However, it isn't the sole reason that I abstain from eating Red Vines these days. I've permanently removed Red Vines from my diet not because of its sweet flavor, but rather its aesthetics- food dyes.
Incorporated into food only to enhance the food's appearance, food dyes contribute zero nutrients nor flavor to food.
For example, Red Vines employ red dye to make the candy look more appealing. Without food coloring, Red Vines would look more like a plastic-byproduct than a sweet treat. Therefore, food scientists employ these cunning psychological tactics on consumers which, in return, heighten sales. Nobody would buy Red Vines if they weren't red and resembled some sort of construction-grade glue.
Clearly, pretty much all candy uses artificial food coloring. What's most concerning is that food dyes can be found in the most unexpected places like nutritional supplements, conventional produce (oranges, blueberries, apples, and cherries to name a few), medications, and lemonade and orange juice.
While food coloring is both odorless and tasteless, its effects on human health that are less quite less subtle. Derived from petroleum, food dyes arguably raise more concern than corn syrup.
These crude oil colors are linked to various forms of diseases including cancer. Most notably, food dyes have been shown to be genotoxic; meaning they disrupt normal gene expression which then cascades a plethora of deleterious health conditions.
Moreover, artificial food dyes have been shown to damage the mitchondria which are the cell's fundamental energy power plants. Healthy mitochondria are essential for health. Disease starts with under-functioning mitochondria.
As far as athletes are concerned, there should be extreme vigilance when it comes to avoiding food dyes considering that weaker mitochondria equate to a weaker athlete.
Food dyes are like my ex girlfriend. Coming across fun and aesthetically gorgeous, but terrible for health and growth.
Sources:
Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition. “Color Additives History.” U.S. Food and Drug Administration, FDA, www.fda.gov/industry/color-additives/color-additives-history.
Kobylewski, Sarah, and Michael F. Jacobson. “Toxicology of Food Dyes.” International Journal of Occupational and Environmental Health, vol. 18, no. 3, 2012, pp. 220–246., doi:10.1179/1077352512z.00000000034.
Reyes, F. G., et al. “Effect of Organic Synthetic Food Colours on Mitochondrial Respiration.” Food Additives & Contaminants, vol. 13, no. 1, 1996, pp. 5–11., doi:10.1080/02652039609374376.