TTC? Soda May Damage Your DNA

I've written before about the dangers of artificial sweeteners found in sodas and other products. Here is another reason you may want to think about cutting soda out of your diet. Sodium benzoate is a common ingredient in soft drinks and it may actually harm your DNA. Read more:

Drink Soda and Damage Your DNA (mercola.com)

from the article:

Research from a British university suggests that sodium benzoate, a common preservative found in many soft drinks, has the ability to switch off vital parts of DNA.
This could eventually lead to diseases such as cirrhosis of the liver and Parkinson's.

When a UK professor of molecular biology and biotechnology tested the impact of sodium benzoate on living yeast cells, he discovered that it was damaging important DNA in the cells' mitochondria.

Mitochondria serve as the "power stations" for cells, and damage to them can lead to serious cell malfunctions associated with aging and age-related disease. The damage caused by sodium benzoate was great enough to cause the mitochondria to stop functioning.

Sodium benzoate occurs naturally in berries in small amounts, but is used in large quantities to prevent mold in soft drinks such as Sprite, Diet Pepsi, Coca-Cola, and Dr Pepper. It is also added to pickles and sauces.


Since I enjoy carbonated beverages, I started making my own carbonated tea. I brew the tea of my choice, add flavored seltzer (I like "Blue Sky" lemon flavor)add a squirt of lemon juice, and sweeten with "stevia" which is thought to be safer than other artificial sweeteners. So far it's quenched my desire for carbonated beverages and it doesn't have any calories. Give it a try!