As kids drink more soda pop than ever, a warning
Caution: Some soft drinks may seriously harm your health
Expert links additive to cell damage
By Martin Hickman, Consumer Affairs Correspondent, The Independent
A new health scare erupted over soft drinks last night amid evidence they may cause serious cell damage. Research from a British university suggests a common preservative found in drinks such as Fanta and Pepsi Max 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 degenerative diseases such as Parkinson's.
The findings could have serious consequences for the hundreds of millions of people worldwide who consume fizzy drinks. They will also intensify the controversy about food additives, which have been linked to hyperactivity in children.
Concerns centre on the safety of E211, known as sodium benzoate, a preservative used for decades by the £74bn global carbonated drinks industry. Sodium benzoate derives from benzoic acid. It occurs naturally in berries, but is used in large quantities to prevent mould in soft drinks such as Sprite, Oasis and Dr Pepper. It is also added to pickles and sauces.
Sodium benzoate has already been the subject of concern about cancer because when mixed with the additive vitamin C in soft drinks, it causes benzene, a carcinogenic substance. A Food Standards Agency survey of benzene in drinks last year found high levels in four brands which were removed from sale.
(The article is here. And more:)
Sodium benzoate revealed: Evidence highlights new fear over drinks additive
by Martin Hickman, The Independent
Like most other children, Lee Buniak enjoys swimming, basketball, burgers and, of course, fizzy drinks. But just one of those drinks can make him disruptive and aggressive, says his mother, Helen.
After having a soft drink, Lee, nine, from Waltham Forest, east London, can also suffer from headaches and occasionally develops itchy rashes on his body.
For years, his mother took him to all sorts of experts, without success. Finally, one suggested she stop allowing him fizzy drinks or sweets with E-numbers in them. The improvement was remarkable.
Lee is one of an estimated one million children in Britain who suffer reactions from behavioural problems to physical illness when they consume anything containing E-numbers.
The Independent on Sunday's revelations focus on another potential side-effect of soft drinks and one that may have much longer-term implications.
The substance is known as E211, or sodium benzoate, and the findings of Professor Peter Piper, from Sheffield University, represent another challenge to the already blemished reputation of food additives.
(The rest is here.)
Expert links additive to cell damage
By Martin Hickman, Consumer Affairs Correspondent, The Independent
A new health scare erupted over soft drinks last night amid evidence they may cause serious cell damage. Research from a British university suggests a common preservative found in drinks such as Fanta and Pepsi Max 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 degenerative diseases such as Parkinson's.
The findings could have serious consequences for the hundreds of millions of people worldwide who consume fizzy drinks. They will also intensify the controversy about food additives, which have been linked to hyperactivity in children.
Concerns centre on the safety of E211, known as sodium benzoate, a preservative used for decades by the £74bn global carbonated drinks industry. Sodium benzoate derives from benzoic acid. It occurs naturally in berries, but is used in large quantities to prevent mould in soft drinks such as Sprite, Oasis and Dr Pepper. It is also added to pickles and sauces.
Sodium benzoate has already been the subject of concern about cancer because when mixed with the additive vitamin C in soft drinks, it causes benzene, a carcinogenic substance. A Food Standards Agency survey of benzene in drinks last year found high levels in four brands which were removed from sale.
(The article is here. And more:)
Sodium benzoate revealed: Evidence highlights new fear over drinks additive
by Martin Hickman, The Independent
Like most other children, Lee Buniak enjoys swimming, basketball, burgers and, of course, fizzy drinks. But just one of those drinks can make him disruptive and aggressive, says his mother, Helen.
After having a soft drink, Lee, nine, from Waltham Forest, east London, can also suffer from headaches and occasionally develops itchy rashes on his body.
For years, his mother took him to all sorts of experts, without success. Finally, one suggested she stop allowing him fizzy drinks or sweets with E-numbers in them. The improvement was remarkable.
Lee is one of an estimated one million children in Britain who suffer reactions from behavioural problems to physical illness when they consume anything containing E-numbers.
The Independent on Sunday's revelations focus on another potential side-effect of soft drinks and one that may have much longer-term implications.
The substance is known as E211, or sodium benzoate, and the findings of Professor Peter Piper, from Sheffield University, represent another challenge to the already blemished reputation of food additives.
(The rest is here.)
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