Dr. Mercola January 26 2008 53,315 views
Nearly one out of ten of 200 beverage samples analyzed in a recent study by the EPA and FDA still had benzene levels above the U.S. EPA drinking water limit of 5 parts per billion (ppb).
Many manufacturers have reformulated their products to minimize or eliminate benzene. In these reformulated products, benzene levels were 1.1 ppb or less. About 71 percent of beverage samples contained less than 1 ppb.
Benzene can form in beverages that contain the preservative benzoate salt and ascorbic acid (vitamin C). Beverages were reformulated in the early 1990’s to avoid benzene formation, but it has recurred in recent years because new manufacturers were unaware of the problem and added vitamin C to drinks.
Benzene is not something you want to be consuming as it has been linked to leukemia and other problems. It is usually found in pollutants such as car exhaust fumes. Ironically, the main reason it’s in soft drinks these days is because some manufacturers have added vitamin C to their beverages in an effort to make them seem more healthy.
Why are they still allowed to do this? Because about 15 years ago, when the problem first surfaced, the FDA decided to leave it up to the soft drink industry to determine the best way to lower benzene levels in soft drinks. So there are no regulations telling soda manufacturers not to add vitamin C to drinks with benzoate preservatives, and after a few years had passed and the problem was off the headlines for a while, vitamin C went right back in. So much for the government watchdogs who are supposed to be guarding our health from just this kind of problem.
Of course, the entire idea of adding vitamin C to a soft drink to make it “healthier” is ludicrous in the first place, even if doing so didn’t result in a cancer-causing toxic brew. It’s sort of like slapping a happy-face sticker on a toxic waste dump. Soft drinks, the leading source for calories in America, are loaded with high fructose corn syrup, and they increase your obesity risks by 60 percent. A bit of vitamin C is not going to fix that.
And diet soft drinks, despite what you may think, are no better for your weight, and usually contain health-harming artificial sweeteners as well. Without question, as bad as regular sugar-laden sodas are, they are far superior to the artificial sweeteners used in diet sodas.
Of course, asking whether diet or regular soft drinks are better is like asking whether you prefer getting hit in the head with a sledge hammer, a baseball bat or a golf club. None of the choices are good; it is all a matter of the lesser of two health evils.
One of the easiest things you can do to optimize your health is to replace soft and sugary sweet fruit drinks with clean fresh water. There just is simply NO excuse to be drinking soda in my book, none, absolutely none.
Basically it boils down to this: our food and drink industy is making billions poisoning us, The medical and pharma is making billlions 'curing' us. The politicians are making billions for practicing genocide on us. Industry is making billions by creating an enviorment that is growing cancer in our bodies for the medical industry to 'treat' and prolong, more billions to be made here too. The morturaries and funeral homes are making their billions by eliminating all traces of us after the politicians and lobbiests and special interests groups, industrial monopolists, food and drink consortiums, and the medical mafia who own and operate the FDA get their trillions for finishing the job of population control. In the meantime we the 'public' are dumb, fat and ignorant and accept everything we are told and rush headlong into our own oblivion like lemmings to the sea. What a great future we have created for us and our children. So, why not kick back, have a diet soda, a fat mac and fries followed by artificial chemically altered dessert then light up a smoke and take a chemical cocktail to lower your cholesterol and a upper to overcome your ED so you can have the prescribed amount of recreational sex. Then gobble down a couple of sleeping pills to get your 5 hrs of sleep so you can stagger out of bed to take your stimulants so you can drive your gas guzzler to a job you hate to make govt mandated minimum wage while you eat your chemically altered artificial lunch and try to make an appointment with a 'no child left behind educated medical practicioner' to write you some prescriptions for the pills that will probably kill you before they help you. After a day of mental stress from watching the economy fail and the stock market crash you can get drunk, beat your wife and take a sleeping pill to ease your misery and get another 4 hrs sleep.. Then you can get up and do it all over again. Have a great day. Dont forget to be thankful for all your blessings.
One can look at your statement as being negative, but the sad truth of it all is that it is so true! Sometimes, it can really be too much to think about and so I am guessing that is when a sense of human helps to lift some of the heavy load. There are times when I think that one may be better off being totally oblivious to what is going on around us, but one cannot return to that state of mind once we open our eyes and our mind to the truth. Maybe that is why so many people, these days, seem to not be in touch with reality...maybe reality is so hard for some of us to accept. I, recently, met a woman who told me that I need to "go with the flow" instead of fighting against it. She is a happy woman so maybe there is something to be learned from what she says. Still, how does one block the obvious and pretend it doesn't exist. The very same people who talk about "blessings" and "we are what we make of our lives" have never experienced many of the hardships in life and can't see past their comfortable lives. There is a lot of ugly in this world and one can either "go with the flow" or try hard to make the best of reality, but one thing I believe to be true...one should never, never, lose site of reality...unless, of course, what we want for the future is to be easily manipulated and controlled by those that are not it touch with reality. Now, that is scary!
I meant to say "sense of humor" - not "human". It pays to proof read before clicking...Submit
Corgi, that was the best article I have read in a long time! I wish I could copy that!!! It says it all, and so true.
Arlene
Wow.....nuf said!!!
I tried to give more points for this post. Blast!!
LOVE IT!! SAD BUT TRUE...
WOW!!! How sweet it is!!! You hit the proverbial nail on the head by saying it the best!
Corgi You just summed up everything that I believe is happening in our society!! I could not add anything to it. God Bless America, and may God help us!!
I feel that was around the #1 "comment on this article" I have ever read anywhere
.-~•*'˜¨¯`•¸here's your trophy¸•`¯¨˜'*•~-.-•~
Dear Corgi,
You have finally figured it out! You are very wise, and when you try to share your hard won knowledge with friends, they think you are a nut. Spread the word! Some people do wake up.
Mark
I've read Dr. M website for several years, but had never registered for an ID of my own -- until today.
I had to register, just so I could reply to your comment to say this was a Great summary of what we've become.
That was pretty good! So true. Yep, I think we all kind of figured the sense of humor part. Thank you for summing up life in today's world so well.
Amen Russ
I had to come back here and comment. I am just so utterly disgusted! A family-in-law member of mine had cancer surgery the other day and I went to visit. I noticed how dry her mouth was and learned she was not allowed to have any liquid nor food. I asked for a mouth sponge (the kind on a stick that you dip into water) and the nurse pulls out a large looking Q-tip thing and says "these are the ones we use here". I took a look at the package and immediately noticed sodium benzoate on the list! Not that I am at all shocked by this, but I told the nurse we wanted the other ones and that this one is not something they should be giving to a cancer patient (let alone any of us!). She looked at me like I was some crazy fool and had the nerve to say "Oh, we wouldn't give anything here that was bad for a patient". How F@@##&&^%%!!))(*(!! STUPID is that????!!!! Since when is it ok to rub a preservative swab around in your mouth to moisten it up?? And this is something where patients are constantly putting a fresh one into their mouth! Why in the world would anyone use such a thing when they have fresh water and a simple sponge stick to use instead?? I guess it is just too much work to ask a nurse to get a cup of water and a pack of sponge sticks. (Sorry I don't know the actual name they call them). I told the nurse to make sure that she only got the ones I requested from now on with water fo her. (Who know what those are made of though.) If you ever have to be in a hospital you really need a good bedside advocate, someone who will bring you your own food, and get the heck out of there before they KILL you!!! I just cannot believe how utterly ignorant and brain washed the majority of these nurses are!!!! Not to mention the Dr's. Just makes me sick!
Sorry, I had to vent.... but who better to than you guys?? :)
I understand where you're coming from. Put yourself in my shoes and try being the only nurse that's looking at these things in the work place. If you show written evidence that the facility is in fact doing more harm than good, you're the one out the door without a job. A facility I worked for switched to cooking everything in peanut oil, ignoring the fact that peanut allergies are rising among children. They didn't even post anywhere that they were using it either. This is only one of the things they did.
Hi FlyRN13,
I'm so happy you are one of these nurses, but I'm sure it's tough having to do your job as told when you know how corrupt the whole system is. It is so sad that anyone who speaks the truth is at great risk of losing their job. I met a great nurse when my dad was in the hospital. She knew and agreed all that we said and did and didn't do. She was the one who told me it is so important for a patient in the hospital to have a good bedside advocate and I was it. Sure is stressfull, but you gotta do what ya gotta do. I won't ever let them bully me or my family!
Did you complain to the hospital??
Water in it‘s purest form is the only fluid required/needed by the body to maintain and live a healthy life. Since we are comprised of over 70% water and each cell is 90% water, wouldn‘t it make sense to replenish your body with what it‘s lacking? Try drinking alkaline-ionized micro-clustered water and see how your body responds...you will be amazed!
OH YES.... the alkalized water is WONDERFUL!!! My well water is OK, but the alkalized FEELS SOO GOOODD!!
I started having trouble drinking anything other than water during my first pregancy - and rarely can handle soda anymore. It's water, a daily cup of organic coffee and occasionally real brewed tea for me!
Yes I totally agree that alkaline ionized micro clustered water is the way to go. I will drink no other waters besides this water and it taste sooo goood.
For those of you who are "dying" for a soda beverage, there are always the good 'ol fashioned kind that you make yourself. Sally Fallon in her cookbook, Nourishing Traditions, has recipes for ginger ale, root beer, orangina and other healthy drinks that only take a little time to prepare. Kambucha is another alternative to soda. These drinks are lacto-fermented and are especially good for digestion because they help fortify our gut with beneficial bacteria. They would be very good for autistic children who, typically, have trouble with dysbiosis and digestion. You can "doctor" them up, if needed, to satisfy your or your child's taste buds. It may take a few trials 'til you get it just right but it's worth the effort!