The Link Between Colour and Medicine

THE LINK BETWEEN MEDICINE AND COLOUR Today, gel caps can be tinted to any of 80,000 colour combinations, and tablets can be coated in a wide range of colours. But how much difference does the colour of a medicine make? In this infographic we'll look at the impact of different colours on medication, and examine how these colours can affect other elements of our everyday lives, such as taste, smell and appetite. Chromology The Psychology of Colour Red: Physical Red has the longest wavelength Blue: Intellectual Blue is considered to be the colour of the mind, and thought to stimulate mental activity and is often considered the most powerful colour Colour psychology has been used in the design of everything from hotel rooms to food packaging. Yellow: Emotional Green: Balance Yellow is a stimulating colour, but is thought to stimulate emotions rather than actions Green is considered restful, and is in the middle of the spectrum, making it a symbol of balance Different colours have a range of connotations associated with them, many of which are different depending on where you are in the world. Orange: Comfort Orange is considered a sensual Purple: Spiritualism Purple and violet have short wavelengths and thought to be an aid for intellectual thought colour and is often associated with physical comfort Black: Seriousness Pink: Soothing Black is the absence of light. Psychologically, it creates a protective barrier Pink has a hint of red, but it has Let's look at some of the theories behind colour psychology: a soothing effect rather than being stimulating Colour Psychology Usage Hospitals and Labs London Buses Glasgow Street Lighting 23E The colour white is heavily used by hospitals and laboratories, as it's thought to stimulate a higher awareness of contamination Buses were coloured red in order to Street lighting in areas of Glasgow make them more visible to other were coloured blue in order to vehicles and pedestrians, and to ensure passengers would see them reduce anti-social behaviour, with positive anecdotal evidence Link Between Colour and Medicine Research has shown that the colour of medicine can improve efficacy, via a placebo effect. When the colour matches the intended outcome the drug tends to work better. Conversely, drugs do not work as well when the colour relates to the symptoms of the condition being treated. White pills have been shown to make the best painkillers Yellow pills make the best antidepressants Blue pills have been shown to work best as sedatives Red (and orange) pills make the most effective stimulants Green pills are most effective at reducing anxiety Colour also helps consumers distinguish between different kinds of medicine, which is particularly important when patients are taking various medications on a regular basis. In the US, the typical Medicare beneficiary uses 18-24 prescriptions per year. 50% 100% Research shows that people who take generic drugs after taking brand-name counterparts that differ in colour are 50% more likely to stop the intake of the drug, producing possible negative reactions. Colour also has significant implications for pharmaceutical companies looking to improve brand recognition, their consumer perception and sales: 11% of consumers say they think of white or blue tablets as tasting bitter 10% of consumers say they think of orange-coloured pills as tasting sour 14% of consumers say they think pink tablets taste sweeter than red tablets 75% of people find that the colour and shape of tablets acts as a memory tag for compliance. 11% of consumers say they think that a yellow tablet tastes salty, irrespective of the actual ingredients Generally red and pink are the preferred colours for consumers How Colour Affects Appetite, Taste and Smell Colour can have a dramatic impact on appetite - in particular the colour blue, which is an appetite suppressant. Weight loss plans often suggest eating food from a blue plate, putting blue light in your refrigerator or dining room, or even dying your food blue. But why is this? As with a lot of things, the reasons are evolutionary. In nature, there are: no blue leafy vegetables no blue root vegetables no blue meats very few blue fruits As a result, we don't have an automatic appetite response to blue, and our primal nature - which helps us avoid foods that are poisonous - causes the colour to suppress appetite, due to blue (along with purple and black) being 'colour warning signs' of potentially lethal food. Colours are also extremely effective at eliciting certain synesthetic effects, for example: A German study found that people rated red wine as tasting 50% sweeter if it was drunk while they were standing under a red light One study was able to trick people into confusing salt and vinegar with cheese and onion crisps, just by switching the colour of their bags Another study found that people will eat more multi-coloured sweets from a mixed colour bowl, rather than a bowl full of their favourite colour SO HOW DOES COLOUR CHANGE YOUR PERCEPTION? 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