While artficial food colors have been linked with DNA damage and other harmful effects, there is growing evidence food dyes can cause imbalances of hormones needed for proper male and female development. Of immediate concern are red dye #3 and yellow #5. These artificial colors are found in many foods and drinks including - cakes, candies, fruit fillings, ice cream, yogurt, fruit juices, energy drinks and lipstick. They've been shown to affect the function of the thyroid and adrenal gland, bind onto estrogen and male hormone receptors, resulting in imbalances in male and female hormones critical for normal physical development. This 2024 paper references many studies on the harmful effects of synthetic colors and other food additives.
ABSTRACT
Processed foods, accounting for most consumable food categories today, contain considerable amounts of food additives. Food additives are substances added to food products to improve taste, consistency, appearance, or shelf life. Various food additives, such as phthalates, bisphenol A, tartrazine, erythrosine, artificial sweeteners, and parabens, have been identified as potential sources of endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) in processed foods. EDCs are substances that frequently interfere with the regular functioning of the endocrine system, creating an unusual environment in the biological system, which leads to adverse health effects such as the disruption of hormone synthesis, receptor binding, and signal transduction pathways, as well as energy metabolic homeostatic disorders which potentially increasing the risk of obesity, type-2 diabetes, cardiometabolic diseases and may also trigger allergic reactions. Consequently, they can also impact mammary gland development, and reproductive function, further leading to developmental abnormalities. This review aims to insights into the various food additives that act as potential endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) and to describe their applications in the food industry, as well as the failure of hormonal homeostatic mechanisms, which eventually result in hazardous health effects. It also outlines strategies to reduce the use of food additives and suggests alternative additives with minimal or no endocrine-disrupting properties, highlighting their importance for maintaining human health.