6 of 7

Write now Article Tools

Soft drinks obviously aren't healthy. They are loaded with sugar, caffeine, and calories. Soft drinks provide absolutely no nutritional benefits. Sure, they are mostly water. However, drinking soft drinks actually dehydrates a person because of the other added ingredients.

And now there is another scary reason to limit or completely restrict kids from soft drinks- the preservatives, reports the Irish Independent. Preservatives added to soft drinks may damage DNA in children and cause damage similar to people who drink too much alcohol, according to a study conducted by Sheffield University in the United Kingdom.

Drinking soft drinks with added preservatives causes distinct reactions in some children. Side effects from drinking soft drinks in children may include rashes, itching, behavioral problems, and headaches. Longtime use of sodas containing sodium benzoate could even lead to diseases such as Parkinson's disease or cirrhosis of the liver.

The Irish Independent reports that the culprit in soft drinks is the preservative E211, also called sodium benzoate. When sodium benzoate is mixed with ascorbic acid, another common ingredient in soft drinks, it causes a chemical reaction which produces benzene. Benzene is a commonly known carcinogenic chemical.

The UK's Food Standards Agency (similar to the United States FDA) tested 150 soft drink samples. Some soft drink brands had almost three times the acceptable limit of benzene allowed by the World Health Organization. Most of the soft drink samples, however, contained little to no detectable amounts of benzene.

Professor Piper of Sheffield University, stated that sodium benzoate can destroy DNA in human cells. The DNA is located in the mitochondria of cells. Mitochondria consume oxygen to help give a person energy. Sodium benzoate can totally inactivate mitochondria.

In lab tests sodium benzoate produced free radicals which caused cellular DNA damage. The process is called oxidative damage. It is the same type of damage that occurs when a person overindulges in alcohol or the normal process that occurs as a person ages.

This isn't the first time that sodium benzoate has been criticized. BeverageDaily.com reported that the soft drink industry was aware of the potential effects of mixing sodium benzoate and ascorbic acid- the possible formation of benzene, which can potentially cause cancer.

Soft drink manufacturers have responded that their products are completely safe. They cite the tests by government agencies that preservatives must pass in order to be allowed in food. Even so, many soft drink manufacturers are starting to remove many preservatives from their products. The soft drink manufacturers state that they are removing the artificial additives because of requests from the public, and not because of any health concerns.

Hickman, Martin. "Caution: Some soft drinks may seriously harm your health.'" Irish Independent
Source URL: http://www.independent.ie/heal th/lastest-news/caution-some-s oft-drinks-may-seriously-harm- your-health-685498.html
Retriev ed May 30, 2007

Learn more about this author, Angela Harris.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.

Add your voice

Know something about Are soft drinks really as healthy as they claim?
We want to hear your view. Write now!