Soft Drinks May Cause DNA Damage and Increase Cancer Risk

The highly addictive sugar-laden and chemically sweetened beverages known as soft drinks have come under new fire. If it isn't enough to know that one drink a day increases the risk for diabetes and obesity, then maybe DNA damage and increased cancer risk will grab the attention of those wishing to consume.

The commonly used preservative, sodium benzoate (as found in Coke, Pepsi, Doctor Pepper, and many others) readily converts to benzene, especially in combination with vitamin C. Benzene is a potent carcinogen.

A new study shows that benzene readily damages DNA. Another study shows that benzene levels in soft drinks are eight times the allowable limit in water. It is certain that the soft drink lobby will buy votes as needed to prevent any change. For a society that is finally learning not to smoke, abstaining from all soft drinks is the next logical step to health. Overcoming addiction is not easy, as sales of Coke and Pepsi demonstrate.