Dr. Cindy Quach & Associates
101 – 8501 162nd St., Surrey, BC V4N1B2
Tel: (778) 218-3111 Fax: (778)218-3129
www.AvisioNaturopathic.com
Benzene In Soft Drinks – Consumer Beware
The Food & Drug Administration (FDA) has recently received reports of benzene found in
some common soft drinks. Benzene is a cancer-promoting agent found in nature and also from
some manmade sources. Soft drinks containing sodium benzoate or potassium benzoate (anti
microbial agents) and vitamin C (ascorbic acid) can form this deadly benzene compound when the
product is exposed to heat and light.
Remember this, the next time you walk down the soft drink aisle in your supermarket
wondering how long those cans have been sitting there, or next time you see pallets of diet soda
stacked in the summer heat outside your local convenience store.
A recent government study analyzed over 100 soft drinks and other beverages and found
that 5 brands exceeded the federal standard for minimum allowable benzene in drinking water.
Benzene is linked to leukemia, a cancer of the bone marrow that leaves its victims
immunocompromised.
Our federal limit for benzene is 5 parts per billion (ppb) in drinking water. This means the
government considers it to be nonhazardous to our health if we are exposed to 5ppb or less.
However, in this study, some soft drinks contained as high as 79 ppb.
The five drinks that contained excessive benzene levels were:
• Safeway Select Diet Orange
• Crush Pineapple
• AquaCal Strawberry Flavored Water Beverage
• Crystal Light Sunrise Classic Orange
• Giant Light Cranberry Juice Cocktail.
It is shocking to see statistics show the number one source of calories in North America
comes from soda pop. Soft drinks began appearing on the American market back in 1849. The
average consumption back then was less than a pint per person for the whole year. Today the
average American consumes over 240 pints each year – that amounts to over 30 gallons!
We clearly have a long way to go in educating North American consumers on the health
implications of long-term high consumption of this “liquid sugar”. All too often, the public relies
on TV to “educate” them on what foods are supposedly healthy for them.
Dr. Cindy Quach & Associates
101 – 8501 162nd St., Surrey, BC V4N1B2
Tel: (778) 218-3111 Fax: (778)218-3129
www.AvisioNaturopathic.com
Besides benzene, here are other ingredients in soft drinks that the typical highly deceived
and manipulated consumer may not be considering when they reach for a can of this beverage.
Phosphoric Acid
Phosphoric acid is a chemical additive added to soda pop to help keep the carbonated
bubbles from going flat. The acidity causes the body to release calcium from our bones in order to
buffer the blood back to a neutral pH. Mother Nature designed our bodies to maintain a neutral
blood pH at all costs. That said, blood always wins, and our bones always lose. Thus, a habit of soft
drink consumption actually leaches calcium from our bones, leading to a condition known as
osteoporosis – soft teeth and brittle bones.
A Harvard study of bone fractures in teenage athletes found a strong association between
cola beverage consumption and bone fractures in 14-year-old girls. The girls who drank cola were
about five times more likely to suffer bone fractures than girls who didn't consume soda pop.
Phosphoric acid is also known to neutralize the hydrochloric acid in our stomachs. This is
unfortunate, for we need hydrochloric acid to help us digest our foods, especially protein. Without
sufficient hydrochloric acid, we are unable to efficiently breakdown and absorb nutrients into our
system. Is it no wonder that those who drink high amounts of soda pop also suffer from digestive
problems such as gas, bloating, constipation and inability to digest meats?
In a survey designed to measure the amount of phosphoric acid in twenty different soft
drinks, the following were found to contain the highest amounts: Tab, Coke, Diet Coke, caffeinefree Coke, and Mr. Pibb.
Sugar
One 12-ounce can of regular soda pop contains over an ounce of white sugar (~ 7 teaspoons). The
sugar is cheap, and refined, increasing your risk for diseases such as diabetes, obesity, and tooth
decay.
Aspartame
By choosing a diet soda to avoid sugar, you end up consuming aspartame. Also known as
Dr. Cindy Quach & Associates
101 – 8501 162nd St., Surrey, BC V4N1B2
Tel: (778) 218-3111 Fax: (778)218-3129
www.AvisioNaturopathic.com
NutraSweet, it is the sugar substitute used these days in diet soft drinks. Saccharin, previously
used, is found to be linked to bladder cancer. Many health professionals now have serious doubts
as to the safety of aspartame, as well.
I have seen in my private practice, a number of patients, mostly women, who report headaches
from this substance. There appears to be some neurological imbalance linked to its consumption.
Women have also reported that aspartame heightens their PMS symptoms.
Caffeine
The jitters, difficulty sleeping, high blood pressure, heart palpitations, vitamin and mineral
depletion, breast lumps – these are part of the package deal of health problems and risks that
come with choosing to consume caffeinated drinks.
Taking body weight into account, the impact of three cans of regular Coke a day on a seven-year
old child is the same as an adult drinking eight cups of coffee! Could it be that the consumption of
caffeinated soda pop is contributing to developmental disorders, both physical and mental, in our
youth? Many nutritionists would say so. No parent would knowingly give poison to his or her child;
but yet, every time you hand your child a soda pop, you are giving him chemicals that are stored in
his body. Is it any wonder that twelve-year-olds die of cancer, teenagers are afflicted with Multiple
Sclerosis, and young men and women suffer from behavioural abnormalities?
Surveys have found that parents are major role models for their kids' eating habits, even more so
than their peers.
• Almost one-third of the children surveyed drank soft drinks daily, and most drank "regular," not
"diet," drinks.
• Consumption was greater among boys than girls and their intake increased as they got older
• Virtually all of the respondents liked or "strongly liked" the taste of soft drinks. The "strongly
liked" group was almost five times more likely to have soft drinks at least five times a week
• A child's odds of having a soft drink daily almost doubled if they watched at least 3.5 hours of TV
• Soft drinks are far more likely to be consumed when they're available in homes and schools
This leaves us asking - so what are healthy alternatives to serve to your family and guests,
other than filtered water? Many health food stores now carry spritzers. These make terrific soda
look a likes.
Dr. Cindy Quach & Associates
101 – 8501 162nd St., Surrey, BC V4N1B2
Tel: (778) 218-3111 Fax: (778)218-3129
www.AvisioNaturopathic.com
I recommend the “light mango organic spritzer”. It fizzes and tastes refreshing. Really hits
the spot on a hot summer day. The ingredients are organic mango puree and naturally carbonated
spring water. It contains no artificial sweeteners. The “light” refers to a lower portion of the
mango so it is not as sweet as the regular variety.
There are a wide variety of other flavours to choose from, and they come in convenient
soda cans for packing to a picnic, BBQ, or party. So for your next gathering, do a huge favor and
spare your family and friends their bones, teeth and immune systems by choosing a healthy
alternative to regular soda pop.