In addition to rotting your children’s teeth out, contributing to obesity, causing hyperactivity and simply not being a nutritious beverage, soft drinks are now linked to serious cell damage! It wasn’t all that long ago when the possibility of causing cancer was brought to the public’s attention, either! The common preservative sodium benzoate (also known as “E211”) which is found in most soft drinks (as well as other drinks and condiments) can form a carcinogenic substance called carcinogen benzene when mixed with vitamin C.

According to a study conducted by Sheffield University in the UK, the preservative -used to prevent mold in soft drinks- damages an important part of DNA. Alarmed by findings from laboratory tests conducted with sodium benzoate on living yeast cells, Peter Piper, a professor of molecular biology and biotechnology at the university said, “These chemicals have the ability to cause severe damage to DNA in the mitochondria to the point that they totally inactiv ate it: they knock it out altogether.” He went on to say, “The mitochondria consumes the oxygen to give you energy and if you damage it - as happens in a number if diseased states - then the cell starts to malfunction very seriously. And there is a whole array of diseases that are now being tied to damage to this DNA - Parkinson’s and quite a lot of neurodegenerative diseases, but above all the whole process of aging.” The World Health Organization reviewed sodium benzoate back in 2000, concluding it was safe, but also noting that the available science supporting its safety was “limited”.

Professor Piper advised parents to think twice before buying drinks containing preservatives, especially in large quantities, until they have been proven safe by new, more rigorous safety tests. Several brands of soft drinks have already been taken off the market due to the high levels of carcinogen benzene in them. My children drink very limited amounts of soft drinks as it is, but now I think I need to take a look at my own consumption. I’m not much of a water-drinker, but bottled water is sounding better to me all the time!

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