Out of over 100 soft drinks and other beverages analyzed by the government, five contained levels of benzene -- a cancer-causing chemical linked to leukemia -- that exceed federal standards set for benzene in drinking water, according to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
While the federal benzene limit for drinking water is 5 parts per billion (ppb), researchers found benzene levels as high as 79 ppb in the drinks, and most had at least some detectable level of benzene present.
Benzene is able to form in beverages that contain vitamin C (ascorbic acid) and the preservatives sodium benzoate or potassium benzoate. Exposure to heat and light can trigger the formation.
The five drinks that contained excessive benzene levels were:
In response, soda manufacturers, including Safeway, are changing their beverage formulations to reduce the risk.
Aside from the potential benzene risks, MindConnection has compiled a thorough article on all of soft drinks‘ potential health threats. Soft drinks, they say, could rightfully be called:
Bloomberg.com May 20, 2006
Yahoo News May 19, 2006
MindConnection
I am still shocked every time I reflect on the fact that the number one source of calories in America comes from soda. We clearly have a long way to go to share even the most fundamental, basic nutrition concepts to the typical highly deceived and manipulated American consumer.
One of the most important physical choices you can make is to discontinue the use of any types of soda and replace it with clean water. This can have absolutely profound influences on not only your health but the health of your children.
Surveys have found that parents are major role models for their kids' eating habits, even more so than their peers.
For ten years after I graduated from medical school I could never determine which type of soda was worse, regular or diet. In some ways this is analogous to asking which would you rather get hit with a hammer or a baseball bat? There simply isn't a good answer to this one.
About two years ago I started writing a book on Splenda and it will finally be published this fall as Sweet Deception. Writing this book required me to perform a very critical review of artificial sweeteners and after performing that analysis I am absolutely convinced that artificial sweeteners are more dangerous than even high fructose modified corn syrup.
So don't fool yourself and say you are drinking diet soda because it is safer than regular soda. The reality is that it is even worse and will cause you to gain even more weight than regular soda.
If you are drinking any soda, in my book, there simply is no excuse for you not to immediately take strong actions to discontinue this pernicious habit. If you struggle with addiction I strongly recommend you consider Turbo Tapping as a simple yet highly effective tool to help you stop this health-sucking habit.