This science fair project recently caught my attention. Whether it won a prize or not, it made me think about the food we eat and how it affects us in so many different ways. The project was titled “Fuzzy Brained Mice.”
Note: Many science fairs prohibit experiments using live animals, so please check the rules first to be sure.
The student built a wooden maze and trained four mice to run through it. At first, all of the mice were treated the same, given the same food and water, and after a few weeks were all able to run the maze in about 20 seconds. The mice were then divided into two groups; the control group continued on the same diet, while the test group received Yellow Dye #5 in their water.
The results of this experiment? The test mice that drank the dyed water had trouble navigating the maze, and increased their time to over 100 seconds after only 1 day! Over the next few days, they became more confused and their performance worsened until they needed over 200 seconds. The good news was that when the dye was removed from their water, the test mice improved their performance back to the previous level.
What are the implications of this for people? Many researchers have found a link between food additives and behavioral problems. And recently, the American Academy of Pediatrics published an article acknowledging there is “accumulating evidence that neurobehavioral toxicity may characterize a variety of widely distributed chemicals.” In other words, many common food additives may cause ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) or other behavioral problems in some individuals. For more information visit the Feingold association at feingold.org