Derived from a reaction of benzoic acid with sodium hydroxide, sodium benzoate is actually the sodium salt of benzoic acid. Sodium benzoate is a known carcinogenic additive which, when eaten or applied to the skin, gets transported to the liver, where it is supposed to be filtered, and expelled in urine, but the damage gets done before that process is completed.
Sodium benzoate chokes out your body’s nutrients at the DNA cellular level by depriving mitochondria cells of oxygen, sometimes completely shutting them down. Just as humans need oxygen to breathe, cells need oxygen to function properly and to fight off infection, including cancer.
The FDA says it’s safe because the amount used to preserve foods is very low, but don’t ever combine it with vitamin C or E, as this causes benzene to be formed. This is dangerous. Benzene is a known carcinogen, which means it causes cancer.
Sodium Benzoate (211) is used in carbonated drinks, oral medications, mouthwashes and added to acidic foods such as pickles, fish and oyster sauces, salad dressings, jams and fruit juices to enhance their flavour.
Even though sodium benzoate is found naturally in cranberries, plums, prunes, apples, cloves and cinnamon, it does not play the role of a preservative in these fruits and spices.
Sodium benzoate has anti-fungal and anti-bacterial properties. It works by entering the individual cells in the food and increasing the overall acidity of the food, thus creating an environment in which microbes and fungi cannot grow and spread.
When mixed with vitamin C, sodium benzoate forms benzene, a known carcinogen. The rate at which benzene is formed is affected by exposure to light and heat, as well as the time spent on the shelf from production to consumption.Some studies have shown that sodium benzoate along with artificial food colourings may increase hyperactive behaviour in some children
