Soft drink preservatives could damage children's DNA

[lovuian]

http://feeds.bignewsnetwork.com/?sid=252188

Latest research by a British scientist shows that a preservative used in cold drinks could switch off vital parts of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA), causing serious damage to cells particularly in children.

Sodium benzoate or E211 has been used as a preservative for decades by the 74 billion pound global carbonated drinks industry. It is used to kill yeast, bacteria, and fungi in soft drinks, jam, fruit juice and salad dressing. When mixed with vitamin C it forms benzene, a carcinogenic substance.

The preservative is also found naturally in cranberries, prunes, greengages, cinnamon, ripe cloves and apples.

Peter Piper, a molecular biology expert at Sheffield University studied the preservative and found it could damage an important part of DNA called mitochondria.
more...

[Tunkamerica]

1. Peter Piper?

Thanks mom and dad.

[no_hypocrisy]

2. If I really want a flavored fizzy drink, I make my own.

I have a couple of bottles of sour cherry and raspberry natural syrups (fruit, sugar, and water). I add it to cold club soda. Better tasting than anything in a can and better by comparison to soda.

[TZ]

3. This has been a claim made for years that benzene is in soda..

usually the argument is made that just sitting there for long amounts of time causes benzene build up. I think the general scientific consensus is that there is little evidence of this. However I have a REAL problem with this article for one huge reason:"Peter Piper, a molecular biology expert at Sheffield University studied the preservative and found it could damage an important part of DNA called mitochondria." Uh no totally not biologically accurate. Cellular DNA is found in the nucleus of the cell. Mitochondria has its own DNA and is its own separate organelle in the cell, oh and not all cells have mitochondria either. It is NOT part of nuclear DNA. Frankly when I see an article that has such a large scientific inaccuracy I wonder what else the writer (who obviously has no biology background) misinterpreted.

[shenmue]

4. Thank you

It's necessary to break through the hysteria that can come from hot-button headlines like this. "We're all gonna die from _________!" shows up at least a few times a week at DU. Some people will believe anything.

[BadgerKid]

5. So where's the journal article?

Usually a finding this big would have an article in a high profile journal. I haven't seen such yet. I can find Dr. Piper's original piece from 1991 showing something funky going on with the actin cytoskeleton in yeast due to sorbates and benzoates, but it seemed to me more work was needed.

[TZ]

6. Here's another scientifically fishy statement from "Dr. Piper"himself

'And there is a whole array of diseases now being tied to damage to this part of DNA. Parkinson's and quite a lot of neuro-degenerative diseases, but above all the whole process of ageing can be caused by the damage,' added Piper.

No biologist or medical researcher would refer to mitochondrial DNA in this way. Again the mitochondria is something separate from the nuclear DNA that is what most people think of when they hear about DNA. Also if it is benzene being formed its a carcinogen that would do a whole different type of damage to true nuclear DNA than neurodegeneration. This whole piece smacks of pseudoscience scare tactics. Not that I am saying sodas are particulary healthy mind you, its just that this whole article is way off base really, scientifically speaking.

[eppur_se_muova]

7. A couple of threads going ... see this later one ... deserves lots of skepticism.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=102&topic_id=2862045&mesg_id=2862502