Another warning

[Guest guest]

Hi Everyone,

 

Here is another warning published today about soft drinks.

It seems that it is best to avoid grocery stores altogether.

 

Barbara

 

 

By Martin Hickman, Consumer Affairs CorrespondentPublished: 27 May 2007A new health scare erupted over soft drinks last night amid evidencethey may cause serious cell damage. Research from a British universitysuggests a common preservative found in drinks such as Fanta and PepsiMax has the ability to switch off vital parts of DNA.The problem - more usually associated with ageing and alcohol abuse -can eventually lead to cirrhosis of the liver and degenerativediseases such as Parkinson's.The findings could have serious consequences for the hundreds ofmillions of people worldwide who consume fizzy drinks. They will alsointensify the controversy about food additives, which have been linkedto hyperactivity in children.Concerns centre on the safety of E211, known as sodium benzoate, apreservative used for decades by the £74bn global carbonated drinksindustry. Sodium benzoate derives from benzoic acid. It occursnaturally in berries, but is used in large quantities to prevent mouldin soft drinks such as Sprite, Oasis and Dr Pepper. It is also addedto pickles and sauces.Sodium benzoate has already been the subject of concern about cancerbecause when mixed with the additive vitamin C in soft drinks, itcauses benzene, a carcinogenic substance. A Food Standards Agencysurvey of benzene in drinks last year found high levels in four brandswhich were removed from sale.Now, an expert in ageing at Sheffield University, who has been workingon sodium benzoate since publishing a research paper in 1999, hasdecided to speak out about another danger. Professor Peter Piper, aprofessor of molecular biology and biotechnology, tested the impact ofsodium benzoate on living yeast cells in his laboratory. What he foundalarmed him: the benzoate was damaging an important area of DNA in the"power station" of cells known as the mitochondria.He told The Independent on Sunday: "These chemicals have the abilityto cause severe damage to DNA in the mitochondria to the point thatthey totally inactivate it: they knock it out altogether."The mitochondria consumes the oxygen to give you energy and if youdamage it - as happens in a number if diseased states - then the cellstarts to malfunction very seriously. And there is a whole array ofdiseases that are now being tied to damage to this DNA - Parkinson'sand quite a lot of neuro-degenerative diseases, but above all thewhole process of ageing."The Food Standards Agency (FSA) backs the use of sodium benzoate inthe UK and it has been approved by the European Union but last night,MPs called for it to investigate urgently.Norman Baker, the Liberal Democrat chair of Parliament's all-partyenvironment group said: "Many additives are relatively new and theirlong-term impact cannot be certain. This preservative clearly needs tobe investigated further by the FSA."A review of sodium benzoate by the World Health Organisation in 2000concluded that it was safe, but it noted that the available sciencesupporting its safety was "limited".Professor Piper, whose work has been funded by a government researchcouncil, said tests conducted by the US Food and Drug Administrationwere out of date."The food industry will say these compounds have been tested and theyare complete safe," he said. "By the criteria of modern safetytesting, the safety tests were inadequate. Like all things, safetytesting moves forward and you can conduct a much more rigorous safetytest than you could 50 years ago."He advised parents to think carefully about buying drinks withpreservatives until the quantities in products were proved safe by newtests. "My concern is for children who are drinking large amounts," hesaid.Coca-Cola and Britvic's Pepsi Max and Diet Pepsi all contain sodiumbenzoate. Their makers and the British Soft Drinks Association saidthey entrusted the safety of additives to the Government.http://news.independent.co.uk/health/article2586652.ece

[Guest guest]

Another good reason not to drink soda!Ellen Christian Castleton VT, Lilac Hill Homestead http://tinyurl.com/lpfaf

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[Guest guest]

Not only soda, Ellen, this preservative is in some of the processed foods too. To me this is a good reason to avoid all grocery stores except the health food stores. And even there, I read all the labels.

 

Barbara

 

 

Another good reason not to drink soda!

Ellen Christian

Castleton VT, Lilac Hill Homestead

http://tinyurl.com/lpfaf

[Guest guest]

Peter Piper? LOL!

 

They talk about sodium benzoate on the cancer lists too.

 

Cyndi

 

In a message dated 5/27/2007 6:09:58 A.M. Pacific Daylight Time, barbara3 writes:

 

Hi Everyone,

 

Here is another warning published today about soft drinks.

It seems that it is best to avoid grocery stores altogether.

 

Barbara

 

 

By Martin Hickman, Consumer Affairs CorrespondentPublished: 27 May 2007A new health scare erupted over soft drinks last night amid evidencethey may cause serious cell damage. Research from a British universitysuggests a common preservative found in drinks such as Fanta and PepsiMax has the ability to switch off vital parts of DNA.The problem - more usually associated with ageing and alcohol abuse -can eventually lead to cirrhosis of the liver and degenerativediseases such as Parkinson's.The findings could have serious consequences for the hundreds ofmillions of people worldwide who consume fizzy drinks. They will alsointensify the controversy about food additives, which have been linkedto hyperactivity in children.Concerns centre on the safety of E211, known as sodium benzoate, apreservative used for decades by the £74bn global carbonated drinksindustry. Sodium benzoate derives from benzoic acid. It occursnaturally in berries, but is used in large quantities to prevent mouldin soft drinks such as Sprite, Oasis and Dr Pepper. It is also addedto pickles and sauces.Sodium benzoate has already been the subject of concern about cancerbecause when mixed with the additive vitamin C in soft drinks, itcauses benzene, a carcinogenic substance. A Food Standards Agencysurvey of benzene in drinks last year found high levels in four brandswhich were removed from sale.Now, an expert in ageing at Sheffield University, who has been workingon sodium benzoate since publishing a research paper in 1999, hasdecided to speak out about another danger. Professor Peter Piper, aprofessor of molecular biology and biotechnology, tested the impact ofsodium benzoate on living yeast cells in his laboratory. What he foundalarmed him: the benzoate was damaging an important area of DNA in the"power station" of cells known as the mitochondria.He told The Independent on Sunday: "These chemicals have the abilityto cause severe damage to DNA in the mitochondria to the point thatthey totally inactivate it: they knock it out altogether."The mitochondria consumes the oxygen to give you energy and if youdamage it - as happens in a number if diseased states - then the cellstarts to malfunction very seriously. And there is a whole array ofdiseases that are now being tied to damage to this DNA - Parkinson'sand quite a lot of neuro-degenerative diseases, but above all thewhole process of ageing."The Food Standards Agency (FSA) backs the use of sodium benzoate inthe UK and it has been approved by the European Union but last night,MPs called for it to investigate urgently.Norman Baker, the Liberal Democrat chair of Parliament's all-partyenvironment group said: "Many additives are relatively new and theirlong-term impact cannot be certain. This preservative clearly needs tobe investigated further by the FSA."A review of sodium benzoate by the World Health Organisation in 2000concluded that it was safe, but it noted that the available sciencesupporting its safety was "limited".Professor Piper, whose work has been funded by a government researchcouncil, said tests conducted by the US Food and Drug Administrationwere out of date."The food industry will say these compounds have been tested and theyare complete safe," he said. "By the criteria of modern safetytesting, the safety tests were inadequate. Like all things, safetytesting moves forward and you can conduct a much more rigorous safetytest than you could 50 years ago."He advised parents to think carefully about buying drinks withpreservatives until the quantities in products were proved safe by newtests. "My concern is for children who are drinking large amounts," hesaid.Coca-Cola and Britvic's Pepsi Max and Diet Pepsi all contain sodiumbenzoate. Their makers and the British Soft Drinks Association saidthey entrusted the safety of additives to the Government.http://news.independent.co.uk/health/article2586652.ece

 

[Guest guest]

Yes, because this warning just came out today.

 

Barbara

 

 

 

 

Peter Piper? LOL!

 

They talk about sodium benzoate on the cancer lists too.

 

Cyndi