Traces of the cancer-causing chemical benzene have been found in French and British soft drinks, at levels up to eight times those allowed in drinking water.
This follows on the heels of similar results for drinks tested in the United States.
It has been known for 15 years that sodium benzoate, a preservative, can produce benzene when mixed with ascorbic acid (vitamin C). Many are concerned that the two chemicals are still being mixed together in many drinks.
Although no more than one part per billion of benzene is allowed in drinking water in Britain, there are no legal restrictions on the amount present in soft drinks.
Benzene is associated with leukemia and other cancers of the blood. It is generally found in pollutants such as car exhaust fumes.
From my perspective, one of the easiest and most important changes anyone can make in improving their health is to stop ALL sodas immediately. There simply isn't ANY excuse in my book to ever consume these drinks.
The primary reason to avoid them is that they are highly pernicious to your health and relatively easy to avoid. If for some reason you have trouble kicking the soda habit try the turbo tapping technique.
Fortunately we do appear to be winning this battle and the NY Times reported last week that for the first time in 20 years soft drink consumption in the US went down.
Soft drinks not only have either sugar or artificial sweeteners, which sabotage your health, but are also potentially dirtier than toilet water.
This study outlines yet another reason you need to stay away from them.
This shouldn't be a big surprise to the soft drink industry, considering how long they've known about the chemical reaction that produces benzene.
But despite that, manufacturers have been putting ascorbic acid back into their products lately, hoping parents will be fooled into buying vitamin C-enhanced "health drinks" that give the appearance of being far healthier than they really are.
It's astonishing that there are different standards for the presence of benzene in soft drinks versus drinking water in the first place. But benzene is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to soft drinks.
They are the top source of calories in America. There is no doubt that soda consumption is the largest source of high-fructose modified corn syrup in this country. And exposure to that sugar will devastate your insulin and leptin levels, damaging your health and increasing your risk of many diseases.
Diet soft drinks are no bargain either, with artificial sweeteners like aspartame and sucralose contributing to a good deal of toxic side effects.
If you really want to do what's best for your health, stick to pure water as your beverage of choice.