Additives may make youngsters hyper

Young kids seem to have boundless energy. The colorings and preservatives in soft drinks, candy, and other foods can boost kids’ activity levels higher still, a new study finds. This increase fosters hyperactivity and inattentiveness, potentially diminishing a child’s ability to learn, the report’s authors argue.

Each day for 7 weeks, nearly 300 youngsters in England—half around 3 years old, the rest around 8—received purple drinks.