An uneasy feeling - natural C and benzene
by
vtmnldy
on Tue 13 Feb 2007 11:23 AM CST
I though perhaps it was just age turning me into a fuddy-duddy, when I refused to add vitamin water, vitamin energy bars, vitamin this and that, to my store inventory. They made me feel uncomfortable, even though the only expressed reason I could give, was the fear that people might be unbalancing their intake .
Sort of - I do not like you, Dr. Fell: the reason why I cannot tell. But this I know, and know full well - I DO NOT LIKE YOU, Dr. Fell.
The first supportive evidence for my decision turned up the other day, sent to me by Chris Gupta of http://www.newmediaexplorer.org . As he says "This alert demonstrates how chemicals in processed foods, while considered safe on their own can create havoc when mixed with even safe nutrients like Vitamin C."
"When vitamin C in your drink can cause cancer
Unfortunately, many people drink soft drinks instead of water. You may already know how terrible these beverages are for your health. ..... But now there's an even bigger reason to avoid soft drinks. Many of these drinks have sodium benzoate as an ingredient. It's a common preservative you'll find in many processed foods. Food manufacturers typically use sodium benzoate in acidic foods because it controls bacteria, mold, yeasts, and other microbes. In addition to soft drinks, you'll find it in juices, pickles, salad dressings, and jams. You'll also find it in your car's anti-freeze, as it also inhibits corrosion.
.... When you mix sodium benzoate with ascorbic acid (vitamin C), a chemical reaction occurs. It turns the mixture into benzene. And benzene is a proven carcinogen.
In an effort to make their drinks more nutritious, many soft drink manufacturers are adding vitamin C to their drinks. And you'll also find the same problem with naturally occurring vitamin C in many canned juice drinks.
How bad is the problem? The FDA recently tested 84 soft drink products and found that 54 of them had some detectable benzene. And some had levels as high as 79.2 ppb. Federal rules specify less than 5 ppb in drinking water. But there's no legal limit on benzene in drinkable fluids other than water. Isn't that a bit strange? In 2001, California published information that manufacturers should keep benzene levels below 0.15 ppb. "
Read your labels - avoid processed foods. I would even say, avoid foods and drinks with added nutrients: stick to the natural food, and control your supplementation levels.
