| Additive Summary | Amaranth (E123) |
|---|---|
| Essence | Amaranth or E123 is a synthetic azo dye (artificial color) used to create dark red to purple color and doing so cheaply. Its name is borrowed from the amaranth grain due to the latter’s distinctively red color; the color has nothing to do with the amaranth grain itself. |
| Names | Amaranth, E123, FD&C Red 2, Food Red 9, CI 16185, Acid Red 27, Azorubin S, CAS 915-67-3, and others. |
| Sourcing | Being fully synthetically made is the name of the game. It’s typically prepared from 4-amino-1-naphthalenesulphonic acid (a derivative of coal tar or petroleum byproducts). |
| Manufacturing | To create Amaranth (FD&C Red 2), the 4-amino-1-naphthalenesulphonic acid is combined with the 3-hydroxy-2,7-naphthalenedisulphonic acid. |
| Application | Coloring (dark red to purple, very water-soluble). |
| Acceptable Daily Intake | Amaranth (FD&C Red 2) has been banned in a number of countries. Still, many do allow it despite recognizing the harms. It is claimed that it supposedly won’t affect people adversely in amounts up to 0.15 milligrams on every kilogram of body weight. The reality of things is, however, that no matter how negligible the amounts, we shouldn’t ever consume this artificial color. |
| Side Effects | The dye is known to be an extremely potent cancer-promoting additive. It can also induce other heavily negative health effects and powerful allergic actions, and cause hyperactivity (ADHD), asthma, irritability, obsessive-compulsive disorder, infertility, and brain damage (neurotoxin). Said to be profoundly dangerous to pregnant women. FD&C Red 2 can also cause rashes. |
| Benefits | None. |
| Studies | 300+ studies on Pubmed. Less than 10 studies on safety. |
| Allergens | None. |
| Diet Restrictions | None. |
| Assessment (As An Additive) |
Seriously Harmful. | Category 5 Additive. |
| Products | Amaranth (E123) is quite rare in supplements. Never used as the beneficial (active) ingredient. Can’t be found naturally in foods. Used in processed foods like wines, baby products, desserts, sweets, caviar, soft drinks, puddings, marmalade, jellies, and others. |
