Soft Drink Alert: Dangers of Benzene

Losing weight is a major health problem for at least two-thirds of the American population. Many adults and children drink until they are overweight or obese. Beyond the nutritionally empty calories in soft drinks and the number one source of calories in a typical American diet, a long-known threat in soft drinks, benzene, has health officials worried again.

Benzene is a known human carcinogen (cancer-causing agent) that has been linked to leukemia. It can form in soft drinks that contain vitamin C (ascorbic acid) and sodium benzoate or potassium benzoate. Many soft drinks use sodium benzoate to stop the growth and spoilage of bacteria. Vitamin C may be present because it was added by the manufacturer, or it may occur naturally from fruit concentrates used in the drink. Soft drink manufacturers do not add benzene to drinks directly, rather the compound is formed by a reaction (ascorbic acid) and the preservatives that are added to the drink, in the presence of heat and light.

Believe it or not, the FDA has known about this cancer threat for more than fifteen years, and has allowed the soft drink industry voluntary control over how best to reduce benzene levels in its soft drinks. Currently, the FDA continues to withhold data on benzene that it believes would be “misleading” to soft drink consumers. I wonder if you think people will be “confused” as to why the FDA didn’t report this threat a decade and a half ago?

Because children can be especially sensitive to benzene, since their bone marrow cells are very active, all soft drinks should be removed from schools immediately until they are proven safe and free of all harmful effects.

Being overweight or obese is just the first stage for many of lifelong battles with so many other related health problems. Drinking to a sick state is a physical choice that you can have control over! If you are a parent, you can be the most important role model for your children. Surveys have found that parents have more influence on the way their children eat and drink than their peers.

While making the decision to eat healthier foods is a wonderful thing, people are seriously underestimating that the most powerful weapon for disease control in your diet is choosing more wisely what to drink and what to avoid.

The substance of your body is mainly made up of 75% water. As a sure thirst quencher, water is hard to beat! Non-perishable juices and individual milks can be added as some healthy alternatives to break the daily routine of consuming water. Try adding a squeeze of real lemon or lime juice to the water to add a citrus flavor.

From my perspective, one of the most important and easiest changes you can make to improve your health is to eliminate soft drinks from your daily diet. While the occasional soda won’t hurt anyone, daily consumption is simply a disease waiting to happen.