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2007-8-31 15:16:19 |
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Sodium benzoate used widely and commonly in soft drinks as a preservative can cause damage to a critical part of cells, which could potentially lead to cirrhosis of the liver and degenerative diseases such as Parkinson's disease, according to a British researcher. Dr. Peter Piper, a professor of molecular biology and biotechnology at Sheffield University in the U.K. tested the effect of sodium benzoate on living yeast cells in his laboratory and found that the chemical damaged an important fragment of DNA in mitochondria in cells. Mitochondria are the powerhouse of cells where energy is produced. The damage is so severe that "they (benzoates) totally inactivate it (mitochondria functions): they knock it out altogether," Dr. Piper told The Independent on Sunday in the UK. "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 ageing,? Piper was quoted by the newspaper as saying. Early studies have found that sodium benzoate in fizzy drinks can react with vitamin C generating a cancer-causing chemical called benzene. The finding drew attention from a number of countries where extensive testing was performed to assess the safety of sodium benzoate. The Food and Drug Administration has been aware of the presence of benzene in soft drinks with sodium benzoate and vitamin C, but has not taken action. Further testing by the agency suggests that the troublesome levels of benzene were only present in a very small number of brands. Use of sodium benzoate in soft drinks is approved by the FDA in the United States and by the European Union in Europe. The UK Food Standards Agency (FSA) backs use of the chemical as it was considered safe and approved for such use. The FDA has not responded to the report on the new danger of sodium benzoate. According to the Independent on Sunday, the World Health Organization conducted a review in 2000 and concluded that sodium benzoate was safe, but it called science supporting its safety was limited. Dr. Piper, whose research was funded by a government council, said that by the criteria of modern safety testing, the safety tests conducted by the US FDA in the past were inadequate or out of date. "Like all things, safety testing moves forward and you can conduct a much more rigorous safety test than you could 50 years ago," Dr. Piper was quoted as saying. Dr. Piper advised parents think carefully about purchasing soft drinks with preservatives for their children until they are proved to be safe by new tests, according to the Independent on Sunday. |
