Soft Drinks: and You Worry About the Benzene?

Consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages, and in particular, carbonated soft drinks may be a key contributor to the current epidemic of overweight and obesity. High-fructose corn syrup, a principal ingredient in these beverages has been suggested as a cause of the increased incidences of obesity and metabolic syndrome in the US. sugar-sweetened soft drinks contribute more than 7 percent of Americans’ calories, making them the largest single source of calories in the US diet. They contribute to the erosion of tooth enamal and dental caries. Consumption of caffeine and phosphoric acid in colas may have an adverse effect on bone mineral density in older women. Consumption of sugar-sweetened foods, including sweetened beverages and soft drinks, are being investigated as risk factors in pancreatic cancer. As if that isn't enough, Coca-Cola has been studied as a possible animal carcinogen.

With all of that, what is it that people worry about? Trace levels of benzene formed from the reaction of sodium benzoate and ascorbic acid. While I'm pleased that action is being taken to get a carcinogen out of the food supply (though the term "food" applies very loosely to sugar-sweetened beverages and soft drinks), I question the wisdom of being concerned about the benzene at all; there's more than enough evidence to persuade a reasonable person that drinking sugar-sweetened beverages, and particularly carbonated soft drinks is a really bad idea for your health. If you sat down and did the math, you might find that the cancer risks from the benzene exposure are probably trivial by comparison.