Further thoughts on Benzoates in sodas and other foods.

[Guest guest]

I had to do some further thinking about sodium benzoate in sodas. Benzoate in no way resembles benzene. Attach a methyl group to the benzene rings. Substitue a C-0-0-H acid group for one of the hydrogens on that methy group. That is benzoic acid. When sodium attaches, it makes a salt, neutralizing the acid. If you were to put some sodium benzoate in an aquaeous solution of citric and ascorbic acids, some of the sodium would leave the sodium benzoate and form sodium citrate and sodium ascorbate. When we are speaking of relatively weak acids such as these, the result is an equilibrium reaction; there remains some of the acids, some of each salt.Okay, now some of the sodium benzoate is now benzoic acid. This is not benzene. Not only would you have to get rid of the acid group on the methyl group; you would have to get the methyl group off the benzene ring.NOT GOING TO HAPPEN!Sodas do

not contain benzene, and reacting with foods or enzymes in the body no benzene will be formed.By the way PABA, part of B-complex, is paraaminobenzoic acid. Benzoic acid and bezoates are compounds the body knows how to process.Dr. Goebel