Editor’s Note: This article contains discussions of suicide. Reader discretion is advised. If you or someone you know is struggling with thoughts of suicide, you can find resources in your area on the National Crisis Line website or by calling 988.
(NewsNation) — As concerns grow over the potential health risks of synthetic food dyes, one neuroscientist is using her personal story to raise awareness for parents across the country.
Rebecca Bevans never set out to become a food activist. But after watching her son’s sudden behavioral and emotional decline, she said she used her scientific training to uncover a surprising culprit: artificial food dyes.
“He started to have 10 meltdowns a day, and started to beg me to let him kill himself,” Bevans said.
She said her son eventually asked her for a knife to make the “twisted” feelings stop.
“No parent wants to look at their 7-year-old who is begging for you to get them a knife because they don’t want to be here anymore.”
‘Brain buzzing’ linked to Red 40, neuroscientist says
Bevans said her son wasn’t sad, but he was tormented. His symptoms ranged from extreme hyperactivity and emotional breakdowns to an inability to focus. Then came the moment that changed everything.
“He told me that he couldn’t concentrate on his homework because his brain buzzed,” she said.
That “brain buzzing” sent Bevans looking for answers. She found a blog post written by a teenage girl who described the same sensation after consuming Red 40, one of the most widely used synthetic food dyes.
“I thought, ‘Oh my God, that’s what he’s talking about. That’s what’s going on in his brain,'” Bevans said.
Bevans immediately began eliminating foods with Red 40 from her family’s pantry.
“So, here we are, no Red 40, no brain buzzing, no ADHD-type behaviors, but now we’re creeping into the emotional meltdowns and the anxiety.”
Her son’s symptoms began to subside, but it wasn’t the end. The emotional meltdowns and anxiety continued until she made another trigger: yellow dyes.
After a few more episodes tied to shaved ices and processed snacks, she removed those too. Her son went through what she described as a withdrawal-like crash.
“That poor kid crashed like an addict coming off drugs,” she said. “He slept a lot. He would get up in the morning, and he’d go lay back down on the couch. He was so tired.”
Within five days, she said the dyes were out of his system, and her son smiled again.
Mother wants to warn other parents about synthetic food dyes
Bevans has since shared her story publicly, first through a TED Talk that has garnered nearly half a million views, and then in “To Dye For: The Documentary.”
She also co-wrote a science-based book, “Everything You Need To Know About Synthetic Food Dyes: Information with a Scientific Foundation,” which lays out her reasons for believing that synthetic dyes should be removed from food entirely.
Her son is now 20, healthy, and still dye-free.
Food companies removing synthetic dyes from products
Bevans’ advocacy comes as the U.S. Food and Drug Administration recently banned Red dye No. 3, just days before her documentary premiered. Bevans called the move a step forward for families still looking for answers.
Meanwhile, the conversation is heating up at the state level. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has launched an investigation into candy giant Mars Inc., accusing the company of “deceptive and illegal practices” related to its use of synthetic dyes.
Paxton claims Mars misled consumers by stating artificial colors posed no health risks, despite growing evidence linking them to a range of issues, from ADHD to cancer.
Other major companies, including Kraft Heinz, General Mills, and Smucker’s, have begun removing dyes from some of their products. However, some critics argue these changes are driven by market pressure, not because they believe the dyes are dangerous.