title: [Food additives as a cause of medical symptoms: relationship shown between sulfites and asthma and anaphylaxis; results of a literature review].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine if a causal connection exists between food additives and various medical complaints.
  
  
  METHODS
  Literature study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Medline over the period January 1966-January 1999 was searched for articles on the following substances not containing protein and lactose: monosodium glutamate (MSG), sulfites, azo-dyes (tartrazine, sunset yellow, azorubin, amarant, cochineal red), benzoates, sorbates, butylated hydroxyanisole/butylated hydroxytoluene (BHA/BHT), parabens, cinnamon and vanilla, in combination with key words regarding food and side effects. Of those studies purporting to demonstrate an effect, only double-blind randomized placebo-controlled studies with oral challenge were assessed further, unless the complaint was anaphylaxis. Of studies not demonstrating an effect the design was assessed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Only for sulfites as causative agents of asthma and anaphylaxis, methodologically adequate studies demonstrating a causal connection could be found. For azo-dyes, benzoates, MSG, sorbates and BHA/BHT, no link with medical symptoms was demonstrable. For parabens, cinnamon and vanilla there were insufficient or inadequate data to justify a conclusion.
authors.affiliation: Academisch Ziekenhuis, afd. Allergologie, Groningen.
authors.forename: K E
authors.initials: KE
authors.lastname: Reus
authors.forename: G F
authors.initials: GF
authors.lastname: Houben
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Stam
authors.forename: A E
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Dubois
mesh_terms: D000707:Anaphylaxis / Q000139:chemically induced*; D001249:Asthma / Q000139:chemically induced*; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005503:Food Additives / Q000009:adverse effects*; D006801:Humans; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D013447:Sulfites / Q000009:adverse effects*
chemical_list: D005503:Food Additives; D013447:Sulfites