Facts About Sodium Benzoate And The Health Risks
Today my friends, I would like to discuss a preservative called Sodium Benzoate and some facts that are crucial to your health. It is one of the most common preservatives used in foods, cosmetics, and personal care products. This preservatives is known to promote cancer and kill healthy cells, that is why I feel it is very important to educate you on this subject. So please to continue some facts about sodium benzoate for your health and your families!
Sodium benzoate is a preservative that is widely used and can be recognized by E211. It is the sodium salt of benzoic acid and exists in this form when dissolved in water. It can be produced by reacting sodium hydroxide with benzoic acid.
To put it more simply, Sodium benzoate is an effective preservative and is a type of salt derived from benzoic acid. One reason it is commonly used is because it is dissolves very easily in water. It is made by combining an acid and a base, the result is a salt. When you mix sodium hydroxide with hydrochloric acid, you get sodium chloride, which is common table salt. When you mix sodium hydroxide with benzoic acid you get sodium benzoate a known carcinogenic additive. Now are you totally confused?
Sodium benzoate has the ability to deprive the cells of oxygen, break down the immune system, and cause cancer. It chokes out your body’s nutrients at the DNA cellular level by depriving mitochondria cells of oxygen and can shut them down. We need oxygen to breathe and our cells need oxygen to function properly so they can fight infection which includes cancer.
Sodium benzoate is even in many products that are labeled as all natural. Benzoic Acid is found naturally in low levels in many fruits, such as berries, apples, plums, and even some spices as cinnamon, and is found in many plants, animals and milk. Benzoic acid is found naturally in foods, but sodium benzoate is a food additive. Please, don’t let that fool you because the product used as a preservative is synthesized in a lab.
Why Sodium Benozate is used is because it is a very good mold inhibitor and since acidity foods grow bacteria, mold and yeast very quickly, this is the cheapest way to preserve them.
Common Foods & Products Contain Sodium Benzoate:
It is most widely used in acidic foods such as salad dressings (vinegar), carbonated drinks such as soda, jams and fruit juices, pickles (vinegar), condiments, such a mustard, catchup and it is also used as a preservative in medicines and cosmetics.
The FDA claims that sodium benzoate is safe because it is used in very low amount to preserve foods and as long as you don’t combine it with Vitamin C or E, because it forms benzene in the presence of vitamin C and E, or in an acidic environment. Benzene is a strong known carcinogen.
But let’s think about that for a minute! How do you not combine vitamin C with the hundreds or products that contain sodium such as pickles, salad dressings, jams, fruit drinks, dips, salsa, shredded cheese and even the cosmetic products such as mouthwash, toothpaste, cough syrup, creams and lotions? The list goes on and on!
Just some facts, evidence, and the health risks of Sodium Benzoate:
1. Professor Peter W. Piper of the University of Sheffield claims that sodium benzoate by itself can damage and inactivate vital parts of DNA in a cell’s mitochondria. Mitochondria consume oxygen to generate ATP, the body’s energy currency. If they are damaged due to disease, the cell malfunctions and may enter apoptosis.
2. According to research published in 2007 for the UK’s Food Standards Agency (FSA) suggests that certain artificial colors, when paired with sodium benzoate may be linked to hyperactive behavior. The results were inconsistent regarding sodium benzoate, so the FSA recommended further study.
3. Professor Jim Stevenson from Southampton University, and author of the report, said: “This has been a major study investigating an important area of research. The results suggest that consumption of certain mixtures of artificial food colors and sodium benzoate preservative are associated with increases in hyperactive behavior in children. However, parents should not think that simply taking these additives out of food will prevent hyperactive disorders. We know that many other influences are at work but this at least is one a child can avoid.”
Okay I have given you my spill and it is your decision if you want to continue using products that contain Sodium benozoate. Yes the FDA claims that all this is safe in very low levels but think about it – If you just consume a few of these foods or use personal and cosmetic products per day and do this every day for a few years think of how much you are actually consuming? Does the numbers add up to a high consumption of the known cancer causing agent? Is it worth taking the chance? You have to make that decision for yourself. I do have some suggestion that very well could help.
Avoid cosmetics, creams and lotions that contain sodium benzoate and buy 100% organic to be sure, Eat organic or local harvest and create your own sauce or products with or no preservatives at all. Always check labels very carefully!
Nasty stuff! Thanks for a great explanation 🙂
Your right Lydia this is nasty stuff. Your welcome and glad I could help. Have a healthy day!