Research shows there are numerous unwanted and adverse health side effects caused by the popular M&M’s candy. The little chocolate candies are said to cause a range of illnesses from hyperactivity and low blood pressure, to breast cancer and brain tumors. The ingredients in the Mars candy includes dyes suspected to contain carcinogens— substances that may cause cancer, and other “neurotoxic chemicals,” according to the Center for Science in the Public Interest. Neurotoxic chemicals have been defined as toxins that are poisonous to nerve tissue, and that’s definitely not something you want your family consuming. In fact, red dye #2 was once taken off the market over health concerns it contained a suspected carcinogen. It was reintroduced in 1986, and has since gone into production while Mars continually receives petitions asking the company remove it from its product. While there are concerns over red dye #2, the list of illness-causing ingredients doesn’t stop there. 
Soy lecithin, which is found in M&M’s, is said to cause breast cancer and also negatively effects fertility. The dye blue #1 can cause asthma and low blood pressure, red #40 is said to damage DNA and cause hyperactivity, yellow #6 can cause cancer, hyperactivity, and migraines, and blue #2 is said to have caused brain tumors in research rats, and abnormal cell development. If you think that sounds scary, then you’re right. Learning one of the most popular candies is packed with these cancer-causing dyes and ingredients is a bit alarming. However, it’s known that artificial colors can come with negative side effects despite not being regularly reported to the public. There are more than a few sources out there claiming M&M’s come with these adverse side effects, but is the public fully aware? READ NEXT: 20 Cancer-Causing Foods You Probably Eat Every Day