Soft drinks has a destructive effect on cells destroying the DNA in the mitochondria

May 28, 2007

"...sodium benzoate (E211) has a destructive effect onliving cells, destroying the DNA in the mitochondria. ...Sodium benzoate has already been the subject of concernabout cancer because when mixed with the additive vitamin Cin soft drinks, it causes benzene, a carcinogenic substance."http://news.independent.co.uk/health/article2586652.eceCaution: Some soft drinks may seriously harm your healthExpert links additive to cell damageBy Martin Hickman, Consumer Affairs CorrespondentPublished: 27 May 2007A new health scare erupted over soft drinks last night amidevidence they may cause serious cell damage. Research from aBritish university suggests a common preservative found indrinks such as Fanta and Pepsi Max has the ability to switchoff vital parts of DNA.The problem -- more usually associated with ageing and alcoholabuse -- can eventually lead to cirrhosis of the liver anddegenerative diseases such as Parkinson's.The findings could have serious consequences for the hundredsof millions of people worldwide who consume fizzy drinks. Theywill also intensify the controversy about food additives,which have been linked to hyperactivity in children.Concerns centre on the safety of E211, known as sodiumbenzoate, a preservative used for decades by the £74bn globalcarbonated drinks industry. Sodium benzoate derives frombenzoic acid. It occurs naturally in berries, but is used inlarge quantities to prevent mould in soft drinks such asSprite, Oasis and Dr Pepper. It is also added to pickles andsauces.Sodium benzoate has already been the subject of concern aboutcancer because when mixed with the additive vitamin C in softdrinks, it causes benzene, a carcinogenic substance. A FoodStandards Agency survey of benzene in drinks last year foundhigh levels in four brands which were removed from sale.Now, an expert in ageing at Sheffield University, who has beenworking on sodium benzoate since publishing a research paperin 1999, has decided to speak out about another danger.Professor Peter Piper, a professor of molecular biology andbiotechnology, tested the impact of sodium benzoate on livingyeast cells in his laboratory. What he found alarmed 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 theability to cause severe damage to DNA in the mitochondria tothe point that they totally inactivate it: they knock it outaltogether."The mitochondria consumes the oxygen to give you energy andif you damage it -- as happens in a number if diseased states-- then the cell starts to malfunction very seriously. Andthere is a whole array of diseases that are now being tied todamage to this DNA -- Parkinson's and quite a lot ofneuro-degenerative diseases, but above all the whole processof ageing."The Food Standards Agency (FSA) backs the use of sodiumbenzoate in the UK and it has been approved by the EuropeanUnion but last night, MPs called for it to investigateurgently.Norman Baker, the Liberal Democrat chair of Parliament'sall-party environment group said: "Many additives arerelatively new and their long-term impact cannot be certain.This preservative clearly needs to be investigated further bythe FSA."A review of sodium benzoate by the World Health Organisationin 2000 concluded that it was safe, but it noted that theavailable science supporting its safety was "limited".Professor Piper, whose work has been funded by a governmentresearch council, said tests conducted by the US Food and DrugAdministration were out of date."The food industry will say these compounds have been testedand they are complete safe," he said. "By the criteria ofmodern safety testing, the safety tests were inadequate. Likeall things, safety testing moves forward and you can conduct amuch more rigorous safety test than you could 50 years ago."He advised parents to think carefully about buying drinks withpreservatives until the quantities in products were provedsafe by new tests. "My concern is for children who aredrinking large amounts," he said.Coca-Cola and Britvic's Pepsi Max and Diet Pepsi all containsodium benzoate. Their makers and the British Soft DrinksAssociation said they entrusted the safety of additives to theGovernment.© 2007 Independent News and Media Limited~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~http://news.independent.co.uk/health/article2586653.eceE211 Revealed:Evidence highlights new fear over drinks additiveThe row over artificial preservatives and flavourings in ourfoodstuffs has raged long and hard. Now the 'IoS' discloseshow one substance may cause damage similar to alcohol abuse.Martin Hickman reportsPublished: 27 May 2007Like most other children, Lee Buniak enjoys swimming,basketball, burgers and, of course, fizzy drinks. But just oneof those drinks can make him disruptive and aggressive, sayshis mother, Helen.After having a soft drink, Lee, nine, from Waltham Forest,east London, can also suffer from headaches and occasionallydevelops itchy rashes on his body.For years, his mother took him to all sorts of experts,without success. Finally, one suggested she stop allowing himfizzy drinks or sweets with E-numbers in them. The improvementwas remarkable.Lee is one of an estimated one million children in Britain whosuffer reactions from behavioural problems to physical illnesswhen they consume anything containing E-numbers.The Independent on Sunday's revelations focus on anotherpotential side-effect of soft drinks and one that may havemuch longer-term implications.The substance is known as E211, or sodium benzoate, and thefindings of Professor Peter Piper, from Sheffield University,represent another challenge to the already blemishedreputation of food additives.New studies have emerged over the past few years that callinto question whether E-numbers approved for use in Europe areas harmless as regulators and the food industry suggest.The most famous of them all is probably E621 -- monosodiumglutamate, the "flavour enhancer" found in many takeaways andpasties.In all, the EU sanctions 395 additives: 71 thickeners andemulsifiers, 64 colours, 54 preservatives, 54 antioxidants, 54anti-caking agents and acidity regulators, 52 miscellaneous,27 additional chemicals, and 19 flavour enhancers.Some additives are just innocuous everyday things such as E601(vitamin B2) and E901 (beeswax), but others have propertiesthat alarm university professors.Perhaps the most controversial are the "azo dyes", a series ofvivid yellow and orange colourings that give a lurid colour tofruit squash, fizzy drinks, sweets, jelly, cakes and otherfoods often eaten by children. The best-known azo dyes aresunset yellow (E110), quinoline (E104), and tartrazine (E102).Professor Piper's research touches on a common preservative,sodium benzoate, which is found in everything from Fanta tobarbecue sauce.For some time, there have been fears about the ability ofsodium benzoate to form benzene (a carcinogenic chemical) whenit reacts with another preservative in soft drinks, ascorbicacid (vitamin C).When the Food Standards Agency (FSA) checked 150 soft drinksin March 2006, it found that, though undetectable in manysamples, some drinks had up to three times the benzene levelpermitted by the World Health Organisation.The FSA said levels in general were low; but it advisedmanufacturers to withdraw four products, and for the industryto be vigilant on benzene.Like Professor Piper, Professor Vyvyan Howard, professor ofbio-imaging at the University of Ulster, questions thepractice of approving additives for use that have been testedalone. But in 2005, Professor Howard led a LiverpoolUniversity study that showed that, when combined, someadditives in crisps and fizzy drinks had seven times theeffect they had singly."No one really knows what this chemical cocktail could bedoing, particularly in the early stages of development. Thiscocktail is far too complex," said Professor Howard, whopersonally avoids eating anything with E-numbers.Another study, conducted by the University of Southampton in2004, had even more alarming findings for parents. Researchersgave 277 3- and 4-year-olds on the Isle of Wight either aplacebo drink or a drink containing additives. Their parents,who did not know what their child had been given, were askedto rate their child's hyperactivity. The number of childrenshowing extreme hyperactivity on the additive-free diet wasmore than halved, falling from 15 to 6 per cent.The FSA has commissioned a further study from the Southamptonteam which may provide conclusive evidence about the linkbetween hyperactivity and additives.Both the studies looked at six colourings: tartrazine (E102),sunset yellow (E110), carmoisine (E122), ponceau 4R (E124),quinoline yellow (E104) and allura red AC (E129). There wasalso one preservative in the study: sodium benzoate.According to Professor Piper, sodium benzoate has adestructive effect on living cells, destroying the DNA in themitochondria. In essence, his laboratory tests on yeast cellssuggest that such preservatives generate free radicals which,in turn, damage cells. This oxidative damage, he says, is thekind of done by ageing and by alcoholic binges. ProfessorPiper is disappointed at what he sees as a "complacency" amongthe soft-drinks industry over the potential dangers ofadditives.He believes the industry has been relying on safety tests thatare old and incomplete and has chosen to prioritise otherresearch in other areas. "If they do any basic research, it'smore into whether it tastes good rather than trying to reduceadditives and make it more natural."He stressed that he was not saying that sodium benzoate wasunsafe, but that the food industry could not state withcertainty that it was safe. "We are feeding vast amounts ofthem to children inadvertently. Is this a completely safeprocess? This is what we have to worry about."Drinks manufacturers point out that sodium benzoate has beenapproved for use by regulators. A spokesman for Britvic,which makes Pepsi Max in the UK, said: "Obviously, like othersoft-drinks manufacturers, we will only use additives that arethoroughly tested and approved for use in this country by boththe FSA and the EU."Coke contains no sodium benzoate, but it is found in many ofCoca-Cola's other brands such as Oasis, Dr Pepper and Sprite.A spokesman for Coca-Cola said: "We use preservatives in someof our products -- particularly those that include fruit -- toensure that they remain unspoiled throughout their shelf life,whether people are able to store them in a fridge or not."All our ingredients have been approved as safe by the foodregulatory authorities in Britain and the EU and that is wherewe take our guidance from."The British Soft Drinks Association described the safety ofadditives as "an area" for the Food Standards Agency.The FSA said additives had been approved by the EuropeanCommission. "Sodium benzoate and benzoic acid are approved forfood use," the FSA said in a statement. "Food additives areonly permitted for use after a long and careful process ofevaluation. This includes rigorous assessments for safety,undertaken by independent scientific committees."Nonetheless, manufacturers and retailers have begun to removeadditives from food and drinks. Sainsbury's will have removedalmost all artificial colourings, flavourings and benzoatepreservatives by the end of June. Marks & Spencer will phaseout additives by the end of this year. And Asda will do thesame for its own-brand products by the end of 2007.Despite maintaining that there is no safety risk, thesoft-drinks manufacturers are also responding to public andespecially parental concern.Britvic, which issued the statement above, has taken sodiumbenzoate out of several drinks aimed at children, such asFruit Shoots and some of its Robinson's range. Its websitesays it recognises parental concern about sodium benzoate,will not use it in new products and intends to remove it fromother products "where possible".Richard Watts, of the Children's Food Campaign, said: "Wehave been told for some time now that parents should not beconcerned about preservatives in soft drinks, but we keep onhearing of new concerns. These concerns will not go away untilthere is an authoritative study of the risks."Helen Buniak agrees. "I think the Government has to bring in ablanket ban on these E-numbers, such as sodium benzoate."The chemicals in our food and drink,and what they can do to usE102Tartrazine: colouring.Can provoke asthma attacks and has links to thyroid tumours.Colours soft drinks.E104Quinoline yellow: colouring.Used in a wide range of medications but can cause dermatitis.Banned in US and Norway.E110Sunset yellow FCR: colouring.Side effects are hives, kidney tumours, nausea and vomiting.E122Carmoisine: colouring.Derives from coal tar. Can cause bad reactions in asthmaticsand people allergic to aspirin.E124Ponceau 4R: colouring.Carcinogen in animals, can produce bad reaction in asthmatics.E407Carrageenan: thickener.Fibre extracted from seaweed, recently linked to cancer.E412Guar gum: thickener.Derived from seeds fed to cattle in the US. Can cause nausea.E621Monosodium glutamate (MSG): flavouring.Flavour enhancer found in many canned foods. Not permitted infoods for young children. Adverse effects appear in someasthmatic people.E622Monopotassium glutamate: flavouring.Can cause nausea, vomiting and abdominal cramps.E635Disodium 5-ribonucleotide: flavouring.Associated with itchy skin rashes up to 30 hours afteringestion. Often found in instant noodles and party pies.© 2007 Independent News and Media Limited

June 4, 2007

So, for some, the obvious answer would be to be sure not to take any vitamin c. I'm sure that we all know people who consume 5-6 colas a day.

ed

-

M.M.

. ; . MedicalConspiracies@google ; . MedicalConspiracies@ ; . Paranormal_Research ; . Quackwatch

Monday, May 28, 2007 12:02 AM

Soft drinks has a destructive effect on cells destroying the DNA in the mitochondria

"...sodium benzoate (E211) has a destructive effect onliving cells, destroying the DNA in the mitochondria. ...Sodium benzoate has already been the subject of concernabout cancer because when mixed with the additive vitamin Cin soft drinks, it causes benzene, a carcinogenic substance."http://news.independent.co.uk/health/article2586652.eceCaution: Some soft drinks may seriously harm your healthExpert links additive to cell damageBy Martin Hickman, Consumer Affairs CorrespondentPublished: 27 May 2007A new health scare erupted over soft drinks last night amidevidence they may cause serious cell damage. Research from aBritish university suggests a common preservative found indrinks such as Fanta and Pepsi Max has the ability to switchoff vital parts of DNA.The problem -- more usually associated with ageing and alcoholabuse -- can eventually lead to cirrhosis of the liver anddegenerative diseases such as Parkinson's.The findings could have serious consequences for the hundredsof millions of people worldwide who consume fizzy drinks. Theywill also intensify the controversy about food additives,which have been linked to hyperactivity in children.Concerns centre on the safety of E211, known as sodiumbenzoate, a preservative used for decades by the £74bn globalcarbonated drinks industry. Sodium benzoate derives frombenzoic acid. It occurs naturally in berries, but is used inlarge quantities to prevent mould in soft drinks such asSprite, Oasis and Dr Pepper. It is also added to pickles andsauces.Sodium benzoate has already been the subject of concern aboutcancer because when mixed with the additive vitamin C in softdrinks, it causes benzene, a carcinogenic substance. A FoodStandards Agency survey of benzene in drinks last year foundhigh levels in four brands which were removed from sale.Now, an expert in ageing at Sheffield University, who has beenworking on sodium benzoate since publishing a research paperin 1999, has decided to speak out about another danger.Professor Peter Piper, a professor of molecular biology andbiotechnology, tested the impact of sodium benzoate on livingyeast cells in his laboratory. What he found alarmed 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 theability to cause severe damage to DNA in the mitochondria tothe point that they totally inactivate it: they knock it outaltogether."The mitochondria consumes the oxygen to give you energy andif you damage it -- as happens in a number if diseased states-- then the cell starts to malfunction very seriously. Andthere is a whole array of diseases that are now being tied todamage to this DNA -- Parkinson's and quite a lot ofneuro-degenerative diseases, but above all the whole processof ageing."The Food Standards Agency (FSA) backs the use of sodiumbenzoate in the UK and it has been approved by the EuropeanUnion but last night, MPs called for it to investigateurgently.Norman Baker, the Liberal Democrat chair of Parliament'sall-party environment group said: "Many additives arerelatively new and their long-term impact cannot be certain.This preservative clearly needs to be investigated further bythe FSA."A review of sodium benzoate by the World Health Organisationin 2000 concluded that it was safe, but it noted that theavailable science supporting its safety was "limited".Professor Piper, whose work has been funded by a governmentresearch council, said tests conducted by the US Food and DrugAdministration were out of date."The food industry will say these compounds have been testedand they are complete safe," he said. "By the criteria ofmodern safety testing, the safety tests were inadequate. Likeall things, safety testing moves forward and you can conduct amuch more rigorous safety test than you could 50 years ago."He advised parents to think carefully about buying drinks withpreservatives until the quantities in products were provedsafe by new tests. "My concern is for children who aredrinking large amounts," he said.Coca-Cola and Britvic's Pepsi Max and Diet Pepsi all containsodium benzoate. Their makers and the British Soft DrinksAssociation said they entrusted the safety of additives to theGovernment.© 2007 Independent News and Media Limited~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~http://news.independent.co.uk/health/article2586653.eceE211 Revealed:Evidence highlights new fear over drinks additiveThe row over artificial preservatives and flavourings in ourfoodstuffs has raged long and hard. Now the 'IoS' discloseshow one substance may cause damage similar to alcohol abuse.Martin Hickman reportsPublished: 27 May 2007Like most other children, Lee Buniak enjoys swimming,basketball, burgers and, of course, fizzy drinks. But just oneof those drinks can make him disruptive and aggressive, sayshis mother, Helen.After having a soft drink, Lee, nine, from Waltham Forest,east London, can also suffer from headaches and occasionallydevelops itchy rashes on his body.For years, his mother took him to all sorts of experts,without success. Finally, one suggested she stop allowing himfizzy drinks or sweets with E-numbers in them. The improvementwas remarkable.Lee is one of an estimated one million children in Britain whosuffer reactions from behavioural problems to physical illnesswhen they consume anything containing E-numbers.The Independent on Sunday's revelations focus on anotherpotential side-effect of soft drinks and one that may havemuch longer-term implications.The substance is known as E211, or sodium benzoate, and thefindings of Professor Peter Piper, from Sheffield University,represent another challenge to the already blemishedreputation of food additives.New studies have emerged over the past few years that callinto question whether E-numbers approved for use in Europe areas harmless as regulators and the food industry suggest.The most famous of them all is probably E621 -- monosodiumglutamate, the "flavour enhancer" found in many takeaways andpasties.In all, the EU sanctions 395 additives: 71 thickeners andemulsifiers, 64 colours, 54 preservatives, 54 antioxidants, 54anti-caking agents and acidity regulators, 52 miscellaneous,27 additional chemicals, and 19 flavour enhancers.Some additives are just innocuous everyday things such as E601(vitamin B2) and E901 (beeswax), but others have propertiesthat alarm university professors.Perhaps the most controversial are the "azo dyes", a series ofvivid yellow and orange colourings that give a lurid colour tofruit squash, fizzy drinks, sweets, jelly, cakes and otherfoods often eaten by children. The best-known azo dyes aresunset yellow (E110), quinoline (E104), and tartrazine (E102).Professor Piper's research touches on a common preservative,sodium benzoate, which is found in everything from Fanta tobarbecue sauce.For some time, there have been fears about the ability ofsodium benzoate to form benzene (a carcinogenic chemical) whenit reacts with another preservative in soft drinks, ascorbicacid (vitamin C).When the Food Standards Agency (FSA) checked 150 soft drinksin March 2006, it found that, though undetectable in manysamples, some drinks had up to three times the benzene levelpermitted by the World Health Organisation.The FSA said levels in general were low; but it advisedmanufacturers to withdraw four products, and for the industryto be vigilant on benzene.Like Professor Piper, Professor Vyvyan Howard, professor ofbio-imaging at the University of Ulster, questions thepractice of approving additives for use that have been testedalone. But in 2005, Professor Howard led a LiverpoolUniversity study that showed that, when combined, someadditives in crisps and fizzy drinks had seven times theeffect they had singly."No one really knows what this chemical cocktail could bedoing, particularly in the early stages of development. Thiscocktail is far too complex," said Professor Howard, whopersonally avoids eating anything with E-numbers.Another study, conducted by the University of Southampton in2004, had even more alarming findings for parents. Researchersgave 277 3- and 4-year-olds on the Isle of Wight either aplacebo drink or a drink containing additives. Their parents,who did not know what their child had been given, were askedto rate their child's hyperactivity. The number of childrenshowing extreme hyperactivity on the additive-free diet wasmore than halved, falling from 15 to 6 per cent.The FSA has commissioned a further study from the Southamptonteam which may provide conclusive evidence about the linkbetween hyperactivity and additives.Both the studies looked at six colourings: tartrazine (E102),sunset yellow (E110), carmoisine (E122), ponceau 4R (E124),quinoline yellow (E104) and allura red AC (E129). There wasalso one preservative in the study: sodium benzoate.According to Professor Piper, sodium benzoate has adestructive effect on living cells, destroying the DNA in themitochondria. In essence, his laboratory tests on yeast cellssuggest that such preservatives generate free radicals which,in turn, damage cells. This oxidative damage, he says, is thekind of done by ageing and by alcoholic binges. ProfessorPiper is disappointed at what he sees as a "complacency" amongthe soft-drinks industry over the potential dangers ofadditives.He believes the industry has been relying on safety tests thatare old and incomplete and has chosen to prioritise otherresearch in other areas. "If they do any basic research, it'smore into whether it tastes good rather than trying to reduceadditives and make it more natural."He stressed that he was not saying that sodium benzoate wasunsafe, but that the food industry could not state withcertainty that it was safe. "We are feeding vast amounts ofthem to children inadvertently. Is this a completely safeprocess? This is what we have to worry about."Drinks manufacturers point out that sodium benzoate has beenapproved for use by regulators. A spokesman for Britvic,which makes Pepsi Max in the UK, said: "Obviously, like othersoft-drinks manufacturers, we will only use additives that arethoroughly tested and approved for use in this country by boththe FSA and the EU."Coke contains no sodium benzoate, but it is found in many ofCoca-Cola's other brands such as Oasis, Dr Pepper and Sprite.A spokesman for Coca-Cola said: "We use preservatives in someof our products -- particularly those that include fruit -- toensure that they remain unspoiled throughout their shelf life,whether people are able to store them in a fridge or not."All our ingredients have been approved as safe by the foodregulatory authorities in Britain and the EU and that is wherewe take our guidance from."The British Soft Drinks Association described the safety ofadditives as "an area" for the Food Standards Agency.The FSA said additives had been approved by the EuropeanCommission. "Sodium benzoate and benzoic acid are approved forfood use," the FSA said in a statement. "Food additives areonly permitted for use after a long and careful process ofevaluation. This includes rigorous assessments for safety,undertaken by independent scientific committees."Nonetheless, manufacturers and retailers have begun to removeadditives from food and drinks. Sainsbury's will have removedalmost all artificial colourings, flavourings and benzoatepreservatives by the end of June. Marks & Spencer will phaseout additives by the end of this year. And Asda will do thesame for its own-brand products by the end of 2007.Despite maintaining that there is no safety risk, thesoft-drinks manufacturers are also responding to public andespecially parental concern.Britvic, which issued the statement above, has taken sodiumbenzoate out of several drinks aimed at children, such asFruit Shoots and some of its Robinson's range. Its websitesays it recognises parental concern about sodium benzoate,will not use it in new products and intends to remove it fromother products "where possible".Richard Watts, of the Children's Food Campaign, said: "Wehave been told for some time now that parents should not beconcerned about preservatives in soft drinks, but we keep onhearing of new concerns. These concerns will not go away untilthere is an authoritative study of the risks."Helen Buniak agrees. "I think the Government has to bring in ablanket ban on these E-numbers, such as sodium benzoate."The chemicals in our food and drink,and what they can do to usE102Tartrazine: colouring.Can provoke asthma attacks and has links to thyroid tumours.Colours soft drinks.E104Quinoline yellow: colouring.Used in a wide range of medications but can cause dermatitis.Banned in US and Norway.E110Sunset yellow FCR: colouring.Side effects are hives, kidney tumours, nausea and vomiting.E122Carmoisine: colouring.Derives from coal tar. Can cause bad reactions in asthmaticsand people allergic to aspirin.E124Ponceau 4R: colouring.Carcinogen in animals, can produce bad reaction in asthmatics.E407Carrageenan: thickener.Fibre extracted from seaweed, recently linked to cancer.E412Guar gum: thickener.Derived from seeds fed to cattle in the US. Can cause nausea.E621Monosodium glutamate (MSG): flavouring.Flavour enhancer found in many canned foods. Not permitted infoods for young children. Adverse effects appear in someasthmatic people.E622Monopotassium glutamate: flavouring.Can cause nausea, vomiting and abdominal cramps.E635Disodium 5-ribonucleotide: flavouring.Associated with itchy skin rashes up to 30 hours afteringestion. Often found in instant noodles and party pies.© 2007 Independent News and Media Limited