Under The Microscope

Too Much Red 40: Your Favorite Snacks Could Be Causing Biological Damage

• Malik Muhammad Jr

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Have you ever wondered exactly how much Red 40 is too much? After receiving numerous questions from listeners concerned about their favorite snack foods, we decided to tackle this question head-on with scientific evidence and practical advice. The answer is more alarming than most would expect. A 2023 research study confirms that Red 40 causes DNA damage, colonic inflammation, and disrupts the gut microbiome in mice. Even more concerning, the rise in early-onset colorectal cancer over the past four decades directly coincides with increased synthetic dye usage in our food supply. These aren't just correlations – they're causal relationships backed by rigorous scientific investigation. While the FDA sets acceptable daily intake values at just 0.7mg for adults, 7.2mg for teens, and 4mg for children, the reality of our consumption is staggering. 

Speaker 1:

Welcome to the Under the Microscope podcast, where we use the latest scientific research to present solutions to the various health impediments and problems that plague our community today. Hi everyone and welcome to Under the Microscope podcast. I am your host, malik Muhammad, Excited to come back to you all with another episode, and the theme for today's episode is how much Red 40 is too much. Episode is how much red 40 is too much. So if you're new to the podcast, I highly recommend that you go over to our first two episodes and the second episode, really technically being the first episode, not I'm saying it out loud to myself being the hidden dangers in your spicy chips. So in the previous episode we discussed the dangers of red 40 and we looked at a specific category or area of diet and nutrition, being snack foods, right. So we discussed the implications that come with high consumption of red 40. We also briefly took a look at some of the results or some of the outcomes that come from consuming too much red 40. So I highly recommend that you go to that previous episode and check that out again. The title of that episode is the hidden danger in your spicy chips.

Speaker 1:

So I got a lot of feedback from that episode and thank you all who left feedback on that episode, and something that was commonly heard in the feedback was OK, you know you pretty much done, spoiled all of my. You know some of my favorite hot spicy snack foods, so you know, like, how much Red 40 is too much. How do we know? Right? Typically, when it comes to health nutrition diet, we always try to look for an out Right Because we naturally want to stick with the things that we enjoy doing. So, when it comes to snack foods spicy snack foods for those of us that you know like to grab that bag of Takis, or grab that bag of hot fries, or even non-spicy snack foods, snack foods that contain the color red or orange those also contain unhealthy dyes, right? So this could be your drinks and things of that nature. So we always look for an out right, like. Well, you know, I got a cousin, I got an uncle, you know what I mean, and they seem to be doing pretty good, which that's not today's topic, the different definitions for, I guess, doing pretty good. So, based on your feedback, I wanted to dedicate today's episode on just exactly how much red 40 is too much, right? What is considered a high consumption of red 40? Like, can you give me an amount? So I got you guys covered today. So, in doing research, there is no direct research study that was conducted to say here's how much RED40 is too much, based on, you know, a daily diet, nutrition regimen. Now there have been research studies conducted and we're going to talk about them here shortly that show the effects of high consumption. And you have the few departments, such as the FDA, that have acceptable daily intake values. But we're going to talk about how that even can be dangerous, because the acceptable daily intake values are based on a certain category of classification of consumers. So we'll get to that here shortly.

Speaker 1:

But I wanted to start off today's conversation, today's episode, with a rising concern when it comes to not just consuming Red 40, but also the westernized diet and nutrition, which is a rise in increase, rather in early onset colorectal cancer. We talked about this briefly on the previous episode, so I wanted to use that today to give us a start for just how dangerous these red dye 40s and these artificial dyes are to our system. So I want to start off with a research study that was conducted in 2023. And I'll just read the title of the study to you guys. The synthetic food dye RED40, causes DNA damage, causes colonic inflammation and impacts the microbiome in mice. So this is a quote taken from that research article and it says quote diet plays a pivotal role in influencing the risk of colorectal cancer, a significant public health concern.

Speaker 1:

Research suggests that a diet high in influencing the risk of colorectal cancer a significant public health concern Research suggests that a diet high in processed meats, red meats and saturated fats may elevate the risk of developing colorectal cancer. Conversely, diets rich in fiber, whole grains, fruits and vegetables offer protective benefits by promoting regular bowel movements, maintaining gut health and reducing inflammation. Furthermore, certain nutrients like calcium, vitamin D and antioxidants found in various foods have been associated with a decreased risk of colorectal cancer. So I want to pause right here and highlight the fact that they talked about the dangers of the processed meats, red meats, saturated fats and later on in the research article you're going to hear about the westernized diet. So in our previous episode we talked about or suggested removing those things out of your diet, trying to eat as less processed food, ultra processed food, as possible. This research article also supports that.

Speaker 1:

Later on in the article it begins again the prevalence of ultra processed, westernized diets that are typically high in fat and simple carbohydrates has increased significantly in the past 40 years with the rise in early onset colorectal cancer. Once again, heavily processed includes synthetic chemicals, are low in fiber, vitamins, minerals and phytochemicals, and are often high in added sugar. So now I hear you, ms Muhammad. You just read a whole bunch about how early onset colorectal cancer is related to our diet, right, the Westernized diet that most of us here in America and most some of us across the world may even be consuming. So now, what is rare for you have to do with that? That's what I'm here to talk about. Glad you asked that question, excellent question. So here we go.

Speaker 1:

The incidence of colorectal cancer amongst young people, young consumers, has been on the rise for the past four decades, and its underlying causes are only just starting to be uncovered. So the research article that I'm reading from is the same article the synthetic food diet, red 40, and how it causes DNA damage. Ok, getting back to this to the article, recent studies suggest that consuming ultra processed pro-inflammatory diets may be contributing factors. The increase in the use of synthetic food colors in such foods over the past 40 years, including the common synthetic food diet Allura, red AC or Rare 40, coincides with the rise of early-onset colorectal cancer. As these ultra-processed foods are particularly appealing to children, there is a growing concern about the impact on synthetic food dyes on the development of CRC colorectal cancer. Our study aims to investigate the effects of RED40 on DNA damage, the microbiome and colonic inflammation. Despite a lack of prior research, high levels of human exposure to pro-inflammatory foods contain red 40 highlight the urgency of exploring this issue, and the results that they obtained from this study showed that red 40 did in fact damage that terminology.

Speaker 1:

In vitro studies are studies conducted with biological molecules outside of their normal biological context, right, so I'm basically not doing a study on a living organism. For example, I work with micro. I'm a microbiologist, I work a lot with bacteria, so an in vitro study with bacteria means I'm not studying any living organism. An in vitro study with bacteria means I'm not studying it in a living organism. I may isolate or extract or take samples of bacteria and place it on a nutrient agar plate and watch it grow that way, right, so that's in vitro. In vivo are studies that are conducted on living organisms. So the results that they got from this research article showed both outside of a normal biological context and inside of a living organism, that RED40 is causing DNA damage, directly correlated to DNA damage, rather and that the consumption of RED40 in the presence of a high-fat diet for approximately 10 months also led to dysbiosis, which is imbalance in the gut microorganisms and low-grade colonic inflammation in mice, all of this being caused just by RED40.

Speaker 1:

So now we get to the good stuff, right, the fun stuff. So if it's so bad, like, what's the limit? How much can I not eat hot fries? Can I not do such and such? Right, maybe one bag wouldn't hurt me, or anything like that? That's a good question, so let's investigate.

Speaker 1:

So the statistics you're about to hear are from several different research bases, sources we're going to talk about NHANES data set here in a second, but I want you to listen to the statistics, or the data rather from US Food and Drug Administration's acceptable daily intake. So these values you're going to hear are approximations for acceptable daily intake of RED40. This is just based on approximation, all right. So a 20 kilogram child ages two to nine so 20 kilograms is approximately 44 pounds Eating at the median, should consume or would get approximately four milligrams of red 40 a day. A teenager, approximately 132 pounds, would get about 7.2 milligrams of red 40 per day, and then an adult, averaging approximately 154 pounds, would get 0.7 milligrams per day. Seven milligrams per day, so the teenage group being the highest group. And then you have the child children two to nine being second adults last. So you got 7.2 milligrams, four milligrams, 0.7 milligrams for adults per day. All right, this is just based on an average calculation.

Speaker 1:

Now a researcher named Asa Bradman hopefully I'm pronouncing your first name right and his team conducted a research study in 2022 using the NHANES dataset. Nhanes dataset, so the NHANES dataset refers to the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, which is a program designed to assess the health and nutritional status of adults and children in the United States. So what they found was that red 40 was the most frequently consumed synthetic dye and amongst child consumers approximately two to 17 years multiple items per day was the norm, right? So I just read some approximations for you about approximately how many milligrams per day a child, a teenager, an adult is getting. But what Asa Bradman and his team found in 2022 was that the average American consumer child two to 17 years are consuming multiple items per day, and the norm often was two to four items or products that contain a synthetic dye consumed in a 24 hour recall. Ok, so now their study continued and what they found was beverages were the biggest contributors contributors, excuse me, to the multiplicity of items that were being consumed. So fruit drink, sport drink, sodas, uh, followed by candies, frosting, snack foods. Those were some of the biggest contributors to the multiple items containing dyes per day. Okay, so just to kind of backtrack a little bit. So the average child consumer from 2 to 17 years consumed 2 to 4 products per day that contain a synthetic dye or red dye 40. All right, and the biggest contributor being fruit drinks, sports drinks, sodas, candies, frostings and snack foods, which is why we discussed that on our previous episode.

Speaker 1:

A few studies have directly measured or estimated red 40 or total food dye amounts in food and beverages. So this is going to bring everything up, you know, kind of wrap it up, bring it to a close. So the information that you're going to read is from was obtained from ResearchGate, research articles and Science Direct on basically how much in approximation, based on milligrams of red 40 or synthetic dyes are in basic snack foods, since those are the biggest contributors. Right, that's the biggest culprit. So in 2016, one survey of 108 beverages that was fruit drink, soft drink, sports drinks and energy drinks commonly consumed by children the amount of total artificial food coloring per eight ounces, or approximately 240 milliliters, range from 0.7 milligrams for lightly colored drinks. So we're already at that threshold we mentioned earlier to 34 milligrams in strongly dyed drinks, particularly ones with red 40.

Speaker 1:

Drinks, particularly ones with red 40. So just one fruit drink, soft drink, sports drink, energy drink that is heavily dyed can contain up to 34 milligrams of red 40. Okay, for example, fago red pop was one that they researched in this study and that had 34 milligrams of red 40 in one serving. Okay. So now, mind you, this is not talking about the chips that they're going to eat with that, with that beverage. This is not considering if they consume more than one of those beverages. Right, it continued.

Speaker 1:

Moving on to fruit flavored drinks or punches, right, very same study, they found that they had up to 52.3 milligrams of total food dye, including red dye 40. So 52.3 milligrams of total food dye in a fruit drink or punch, fruit flavor drink or punch, for example, kool-aid, burst, cherry, right? So these things that most of our children and young adults are consuming contain high, excessive levels of red dye for it. And again, this is all based on one serving. Remember, based on Mr Bradman and his team's research study, the average child consumer is consuming between two to four of these products in one day. Between two to four of these products in one day. Right, they didn't even get to how many days, because it's kind of difficult to fathom that in.

Speaker 1:

But this research that we've discussed so far is enough to show number one we are consuming excessive amounts of RED40, which is why you see a lot of the dysbiosis, right, irritable bowel syndrome. We're talking about early onset colorectal cancer. All of these things are happening because we have too high amounts of these synthetic dyes, specifically red dye 40, which is a carcinogen in our systems. Okay, so to wrap things up, you probably thinking well, you know, I'm an adult that you didn't say anything about adults outside of the amount that we average or consume. Well, you know, I'm an adult that you didn't say anything about adults outside of the amount that we average or consume. So you know I'm in the clear. No, not necessarily, even though the studies and research articles that we discussed today were geared towards or aimed towards the child consumers. You just do the math and you put it to or equate it to you as an adult, how many beverages are you consuming that are high in red 40, right, very darkly dark colored sodas, candies, chips and things of that nature. This counts for adults too, so for the child consumer, but again, adults, we're included in this as well. We're consuming approximately, based on the ADI, of what's acceptable in a regular diet, between three and 25 times that amount in just a 24 hour time span. Okay, these are just all approximations based on the research that's out there. And, you see, these excessive amounts of red 40 that's being consumed is also related to the rise in children that are being diagnosed and developing early onset colorectal cancer and dysbiosis in the children and the adults. Now here's a part of this that we also have to consider as well these children, these child consumers two to 17,. Eventually they're going to grow up right, and they're going to also have children. You heard in the research article that the first article that we mentioned that red 40 does DNA damage. So what is the quality of the DNA of their children? And then, adding on to the fact that more than likely, unfortunately, their children will follow a similar, if not the same diet that their parents did, which just compounds the problem.

Speaker 1:

Ok, which leads me to the last part of today's conversation, which is the solution. All right, so the alternative solution would be to just be simply aware of red 40 and the synthetic dyes and limit consumption of them as best as possible. If you can remove them from your diet altogether, that would be great, okay, but try to be more aware of this red 40 synthetic dye all synthetic dyes, but especially rare 40. And you want to limit consumption of them. Get back to water. Good, organic fruit juices. Now, they may be a little bit higher in sugar, but you can balance that out with the consumption of water and electrolytes that you get, you know, from, you know, water, fruits and things of that nature. For snacks, try diet free snacks and candy. Now, that may be a little more expensive, but so will that doctor's bill later if we keep on doing what we're doing. So we get to decide. That's the beauty of having free will, ok, that's the beauty of having free will, ok.

Speaker 1:

Lastly, the ultimate solution we want to limit processed foods, remove them from our diet altogether. Organic vegetables, organic fruits, organic, clean meats, trying to stay away from those red meats as much as possible. And then you want to decrease the frequency in food consumption per day. Ok, we're averaging between three to four meals a day, right, we want to decrease the frequency in food consumption. That'll help us.

Speaker 1:

So, if you're someone who maybe doesn't have access to clean, organic food or fruits, if you decrease how much you're eating, how frequent you eat, that will help minimize some of the damage that's being done by these, this poor quality of food that, unfortunately, most of us are consuming on a on a day-to-day basis, right? So, again, alternative solution be more aware, try to limit consumption of these things as much as possible. If you can remove them completely, that would be great. Uh, limiting the processed foods, ultra processed foods, in our diet, removing them as, as quickly as we can, trying to be as organic as possible, and then work on decreasing the frequency in food consumption per day. These things will help to minimize the damage that has already been done by, you know, the consumption of these synthetic dyes, these snack foods, these candies, these sodas that we consume and work towards. You know, it's a small move, but it's a it's a large step in reversing the adverse effects that come with these, this red 40, high red 40 levels of consumption.

Speaker 1:

All right, I hope that you guys got something of benefit from today's episode. Please again leave your feedback, your comments. I said it in the introductory episode comment section is going to be where we communicate. We monitor those heavily. We love your feedback constructive criticism, good feedback, negative feedback. We love it all. So please leave your feedback on today's episode. I appreciate you guys sharing your time with me. Look forward to seeing you on the next episode.