Cola component damages DNA
Parents were warned to limit their children’s consumption of soft drinks
amid fears over the safety of a commonly used preservative. Research
shows that E211 can switch off vital parts of DNA, causing serious
damage to cells.
Laboratory tests suggest this could even result in degenerative diseases
such as Parkinson’s and cirrhosis of the liver.
However,
the Food Standards Agency and drinks manufacturers insisted that the
additive had been rigorously assessed before being approved for use. The
research into E211 — or sodium benzoate — was carried out by Peter Piper, a
molecular biology expert at Sheffield University. He found that it could
damage an important area of DNA called mitochondria. “These chemicals have
the ability to cause severe damage to DNA in the mitochondria to the point
that they totally inactivate it, they knock it out altogether,” he said.
“The mitochondria consumes the oxygen to give you energy and if you damage
it then the cell starts to malfunction very seriously.” He added: “And there
is a whole array of diseases now being tied to damage to DNA — Parkinson’s
and quite a lot of neuro-degenerative diseases, but above all the whole
process of ageing.”
Sodium benzoate has been used as a preservative for decades by the
74-billion pounds 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. It is found naturally in cranberries, prunes, greengages,
cinnamon, ripe cloves and apples. Professor Piper claimed that tests on
sodium benzoate carried out by the European Union and the US Food and Drug
Administration were too old to be reliable.
A spokesman for Coca-Cola, which makes Fanta, said: “All our ingredients
have been approved as safe by the food regulatory authorities in Britain and
the EU, and that is where we take our guidance from.” Daily Mail, London.
Source - TOI
