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Soft drinks may damage children's DNA?
Filed under: Health & Safety: Babies, Nutrition: Health
In my house, we don't drink a lot of soft drinks. I've just never really liked them much and rarely buy them when I grocery shop. Ellie might order a Sprite if we go out to dinner, but even that is rare. I don't want her drinking soda mostly because of the sugar and the complete lack of nutritional value. But, a new study has uncovered another reason you might want to consider limiting the sodas.
According to new research, too many soft drinks might actually cause cell damage in children. Peter Piper, a professor of molecular biology and biotechnology at a British university, says that sodium benzoate, a common preservative used in carbonated drinks, causes damage to the DNA in the cells known as the mitochondria.
He explains, "The mitochondria consumes the oxygen to give you energy and if you damage it - as happens in a number of diseased states - then the cell starts to malfunction very seriously. And there is a whole array of diseases that are now being tied to damage to this DNA - Parkinson's and quite a lot of neuro-degenerative diseases, but above all the whole process of aging."
The World Health Organization declared in 2000 that sodium benzoate was safe, but did note that the science supporting that finding was "limited.". Professor Piper says that the testing done by the US Food and Drug Administration is out of date and that more rigorous testing can and should be conducted now. In response to these findings, European Union MPs are now calling for an urgent investigation.
While sodium benzoate occurs naturally in some foods, such as berries, it is used in much larger quantities in soft drinks. Piper is concerned about children who drink large amounts of soda and advises parents to think twice about buying products containing this preservative.
According to new research, too many soft drinks might actually cause cell damage in children. Peter Piper, a professor of molecular biology and biotechnology at a British university, says that sodium benzoate, a common preservative used in carbonated drinks, causes damage to the DNA in the cells known as the mitochondria.
He explains, "The mitochondria consumes the oxygen to give you energy and if you damage it - as happens in a number of diseased states - then the cell starts to malfunction very seriously. And there is a whole array of diseases that are now being tied to damage to this DNA - Parkinson's and quite a lot of neuro-degenerative diseases, but above all the whole process of aging."
The World Health Organization declared in 2000 that sodium benzoate was safe, but did note that the science supporting that finding was "limited.". Professor Piper says that the testing done by the US Food and Drug Administration is out of date and that more rigorous testing can and should be conducted now. In response to these findings, European Union MPs are now calling for an urgent investigation.
While sodium benzoate occurs naturally in some foods, such as berries, it is used in much larger quantities in soft drinks. Piper is concerned about children who drink large amounts of soda and advises parents to think twice about buying products containing this preservative.
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ReaderComments (Page 1 of 1)
5-31-2007 @ 12:47PM
Ethel said...And these results are surely due to the formation of benzene from the interaction of sodium benzoate and ascorbic acid in the drinks, which occurs most often in fruity soft drinks http://www.foodnavigator-usa.com/news/ng.asp?n=66223-benzene-soft-drinks-fda
Benzene has a nice affinity for DNA due to its ring shape, it can intercalate between the rings of DNA (between the ladder like steps that encodes the message) and cause misreading of the DNA during replication and reading of the DNA. Get enough errors and you have cells that don't work right, get enough of the right can of errors and you can have cancer. But then again, being alive long enough has the same effect, life is mutagenic and cancer causing.
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5-31-2007 @ 1:50PM
Monica said...Keep in mind this is not only an impact on children, but adults too.
With that in mind, and my way too many diet coke a day habit I did some reasearch after reading this.
Not all, and not even most soft drinks use this preservative. On this particular issue, my diet coke habit gets a pass :)
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5-31-2007 @ 2:01PM
anderson_michelle_lee said...Don't forget about the High fructose corn syrup and the phosphoric acid that can eat away at your teeth. It is not good for you at all, I try very hard to get my kids to order a better choice when out. A good substtute is juice, or tea with juice in it. This gives the tea a fruity flavor, and allows those great anti-oxidants to go to work in your little ones, especially since tea is also decafinated!! My kids love it.
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6-06-2007 @ 9:40PM
Myke Elton said...So you telling me that drinking soft things can really mess your DNA? Thats MESSED UP! Wow! I drink alot of soft drinks and now I'm reading this knowing that my DNA is messed upQ! Great!
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6-06-2007 @ 11:17PM
Dana said...Anderson_Michele_lee, It is good that you don't let your children drink much soda, however,most juices have just as much sugar as soda has.Same w/ the tea.I don't buy any soda, at all when shopping at the grocery store. In fact, even though it was very hard to do, I have not even had a soda(including diet) for about 3 yrs now. I'm so use to it, that it doesn't bother me anymore.I will allow my kids to drink a soda(one soda) when we are eating dinner out some where.Since they don't drink it at home.We usually drink ice tea(made w/ splenda)which is better than sugar. We also drink crystal light or I will buy a juice w/ low sugar in it.They also drink 1% milk or water.There is a such thing as "sugar-addiction" and people don't realize it.But kudos to you for being a good mom!
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