I’ve heard some interesting stories about colons, especially the popular myths claiming John Wayne’s and Elvis Presley’s autopsies revealed an excess of 20 lbs of fecal matter in their colons. (John Wayne didn’t have an autopsy and Elvis had an enlarged colon due to drug abuse). But, according to an article in the Archives of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, a blue colon was discovered during the autopsy of a 50 year old woman .
The woman had been hospitalized and was receiving liquefied food containing FD&C Blue No.1 or “brilliant blue” with a 1:10 ratio (food coloring : food). The authors referenced another article in which green colons were found in the autopsies of a 49 year old male and 85 year old male, who also received the same blue liquid diet . It’s debatable as to whether the blue dye directly contributed to the patients’ deaths since they were critically ill upon admission to the hospital and ingested the diet for a short time. But, the findings undermine the claim by the Food and Drug Administration that the dye is “nonabsorbable” .
“Brilliant Blue” food dye has officially been deemed “safe” after once being banned many European countries, but animal tests still suggest a small cancer risk . Since 1919, 19 food dyes have been banned and 11 were conclusively shown to cause cancer . Other food synthetic food dyes, specifically Blue No. 2, Green 3, Red 3 and Yellow 6, are still available for consumption although studies have linked them to cancer.
Since “brilliant blue” is available in most sodas, candies and baked goods, it is estimated that the average American consumes 16 mg of the dye per day. It’s safe to say that the colored organs of the patients were an acute overdose of Blue No. 1, since the color faded over time. But, what about the rest of us that consume 16 mg of Blue No. 1 a day . . . are our colons navy blue or aquamarine? I would rather not wait to find out and get my daily blues by listening to B.B. King and eating blueberries instead.
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Two countries, the U.K. and Australia, are moving to ban products containing synthetic food & beverage dyes from their shelves, thought to cause problems in children, including symptoms of ADHD, and concern for adults.. One U.S. company, a Minnesota-based firm, has developed an all-natural, non-GM alternative to these petroleum-based dyes.
High in antioxidants, this new product, now catching the eye of large U.S. food/beverage manufacturers, is derived from a specially developed ‘purple’ corn hybrid. Once the natural dyes are extracted, the starches, proteins and oils in the corn are sustained for continued use along the food chain. To learn more, go to http://www.suntava.com.