How does sodium benzoate affect the body

Sodium benzoate is a strong antimicrobial, according to the NIH. It is commonly used to preserve acidic foods such as pickles, salad dressing, sodas and fruit juices, per the Center for Science in the Public Interest CSPI. Sodium benzoate is heavily used by the soft drink industry due to the demand for high-fructose corn syrup in carbonated drinks, according to the International Program on Chemical Safety.

Sodium benzoate increases the acidity of soft drinks, which also increases the intensity of flavor from the high-fructose corn syrup.

On the back of a soda can, you can find sodium benzoate in the ingredients list as E, which is the number assigned to it as a food additive. Sodium benzoate's antimicrobial properties have also made it a common ingredient in many personal products like lotions, shampoos and makeup. It is also used in detergents and other cleaning products, as well as in certain medications, according to the NCBI.

Sodium benzoate does not occur naturally, according to the Electronic Code of Federal Regulations. Similarly, sodium benzoate can act as a preservative in certain medications like cough syrup , extending the shelf life of OTC aids. Sodium benzoate inhibits the growth of potentially harmful bacteria, mold and other microbes in food, thus deterring spoilage.

It's particularly effective in acidic foods. Figure 2. Figure 3. Mean of the numbers of normal and abnormal chromosomes in lymphocytes treated with sodium benzoate at hour incubation time. Figure 4. Figure 5. Normal chromosomes and abnormal chromosomes with gap and sister chromatid separation in chromosomes. References T. View at: Google Scholar M.

Aardema and M. Choy, Ed. View at: Google Scholar J. Tamai, H. Furuta, H. Kawashima et al. Palus, K. Rydzynski, E. Dziubaltowska, K.

Wyszynska, A. Natarajan, and R. Ishidate Jr. Sofuni, K. Yoshikawa et al. Oyanagi, Y. Kuniya, M. Nagao, A. Tsuchiyama, and T. Pepper, Sunkist Orange, Mountain Dew do. Since soft drinks and processed fruit drinks are typically the most common sources of sodium benzoate in the diet, you and your children can go a long way toward eliminating this chemical from your life if you stop consuming these beverages.

Read this next: What are Artificial Flavors? Your privacy is important to us. Leave a Comment. Eat Some Now: 5 Benefits of Strawberries. Top 10 Reasons to Eat Organic. Since the potential for benzene formation existed, the FDA tested over soft drinks back in Most contained no benzene at all or had less than five parts per billion of benzene, which is considered safe for humans.

The FDA noted that exposure is usually from coal-burning and gasoline emissions, not from foods or beverages—even if sodium benzoate and ascorbic acid convert to benzene, the levels found in a bottle of soda were minuscule, so consumers weren't in danger.

The soft drink manufacturers reformulated their products, and benzene formation is no longer an issue. Sodium benzoate is one of the added ingredients that can contribute to your sodium consumption—something to consider if you need to watch your sodium intake.

Check the Nutrition Facts labels to find out how much sodium is in a serving of the food you're consuming. Looking to lose weight? Our nutrition guide can help you get on the right track. Sign up and get it free! Int J Food Sci. Updated December 14, Updated January 24, Smith MT. Annu Rev Public Health. Your Privacy Rights.