What Is Sodium Benzoate? Everything You Need to Know
Sodium benzoate is a preservative added to some sodas, packaged foods, and personal care products to prolong shelf life.
Some people claim that this man-made additive is harmless, while others link it to cancer and other health problems.
This article provides a detailed overview of sodium benzoate, including its uses and possible safety concerns.
Sodium
benzoate is best known as a preservative used in processed foods and
beverages to extend shelf life, though it has several other uses.
It’s
an odorless, crystalline powder made by combining benzoic acid and
sodium hydroxide. Benzoic acid is a good preservative on its own, and
combining it with sodium hydroxide helps it dissolve in products.
Sodium benzoate does not occur naturally, but benzoic acid is found in many plants, including cinnamon, cloves, tomatoes, berries, plums, apples, and cranberries .
Additionally, certain bacteria produce benzoic acid when fermenting dairy products like yogurt.
Aside
from its use in processed foods and beverages, sodium benzoate is also
added to some medicines, cosmetics, personal care products, and
industrial products.
Here’s a closer look at its many functions.
Foods and Beverages
Sodium benzoate is the first preservative the FDA allowed in foods and still a widely used food additive. It’s classified as Generally Recognized As Safe (GRAS), meaning that experts consider it safe when used as intended (1, 4).
It’s
approved internationally as a food additive and is assigned the
identifying number 211. For example, it’s listed as E211 in European
food products (5).
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 (6).
Therefore, it’s commonly used in foods, such as soda, bottled lemon juice, pickles, jelly, salad dressing, soy sauce, and other condiments.
Medications
Sodium
benzoate is used as a preservative in some over-the-counter and
prescription medications, particularly in liquid medicines like cough
syrup.
Additionally, it can be a lubricant in pill manufacturing
and makes tablets transparent and smooth, helping them break down
rapidly after you swallow them .
Lastly,
larger amounts of sodium benzoate may be prescribed to treat elevated
blood levels of ammonia. Ammonia is a byproduct of protein breakdown,
and blood levels may become dangerously high in certain medical
conditions .
Other Uses
Sodium benzoate is commonly used as a preservative in cosmetics and personal care items, such as hair products, baby wipes, toothpaste, and mouthwash.
It also has industrial uses. One of its biggest applications is to deter corrosion, such as in coolants for car engines.
What’s more, it may be used as a stabilizer in photo processing and to improve the strength of some types of plastic .
Some
people are generally leery of all chemical additives, including sodium
benzoate. Preliminary studies raise questions about its safety, but more
research is needed.
Converts to a Potential Cancer Agent
A large concern over the use of sodium benzoate is its ability to benzene, a known carcinogen.
Benzene can form in soda and other drinks that contain both sodium benzoate and vitamin C (ascorbic acid) .
Notably, diet beverages are more prone to benzene formation, as the sugar in regular sodas and fruit drinks may reduce its formation .
Other factors, including exposure to heat and light, as well as longer storage periods, can increase benzene levels .
In
2005, 10 out of 200 sodas and other fruit drinks tested by the FDA
contained more than 5 parts per billion (ppb) of benzene — which is the
limit for safe drinking water set by the US Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA) .
Particularly,
fruit-flavored diet sodas and juice drinks exceeded 5 ppb of benzene.
Since then, these ten drinks have either been reformulated to yield
acceptable levels or have had sodium benzoate removed entirely.
The
FDA has not published more recent product analyses but has stated that
the low levels of benzene found in beverages don’t pose a health risk .
Still, long-term studies assessing the relationship between regularly consuming low levels of benzene and cancer risk are lacking .
Other Potential Health Concerns
Preliminary studies have evaluated other possible risks of sodium benzoate, which include:
Inflammation: Animal
studies suggest that sodium benzoate can activate inflammatory pathways
in the body in direct proportion to the amount consumed. This includes
inflammation promoting cancer development .
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD): A study of college students linked ADHD with higher intake of sodium
benzoate in beverages. The additive has also been linked to ADHD in
children in some studies.
Appetite control: In a test-tube study of mouse fat cells, exposure to sodium benzoate decreased the release of leptin, an appetite-suppressing hormone. The decrease was 49–70%, in direct proportion to the exposure .
Oxidative stress: Test-tube
studies suggest that the higher the concentration of sodium benzoate,
the more free radicals are created. Free radicals can damage your cells
and increase chronic disease risk .
Allergies: A
small percentage of people may experience allergic reactions — such as
itching and swelling — after consuming foods or using personal care
products that contain sodium benzoate .
More research, particularly in people, is needed to confirm these initial findings.
Summary
Studies suggest that sodium benzoate may increase your risk of
inflammation, oxidative stress, obesity, ADHD, and allergies. It may
also convert to benzene, a potential carcinogen, but the low levels
found in beverages are deemed safe.
In larger doses, sodium benzoate may help treat certain medical conditions.
The
chemical reduces high blood levels of the waste product ammonia, such
as in people with liver disease or inherited urea cycle disorders —
conditions that limit the excretion of ammonia via urine.
Furthermore,
scientists have identified ways by which sodium benzoate may have
medicinal effects, such as by binding unwanted compounds or affecting
the activity of certain enzymes that increase or decrease levels of
other compounds .
Other potential medicinal uses of sodium benzoate that are being researched include:
Schizophrenia:
In a six-week study in people with schizophrenia, 1,000 mg of sodium
benzoate daily alongside standard drug therapy reduced symptoms by 21%
compared to placebo. A similar study also showed a benefit .
Multiple sclerosis (MS): Animal
and test-tube studies suggest that sodium benzoate may slow MS
progression. This may include stimulating myelin production, the
protective nerve covering damaged in MS .
Depression: In
one six-week case study, a man with major depression given 500 mg of
sodium benzoate daily had a 64% improvement in symptoms, and MRI scans
showed improved brain structure related to depression .
Maple syrup urine disease: This
inherited disease inhibits the breakdown of certain amino acids, making
urine smell like syrup. A study in one toddler found intravenous (IV)
sodium benzoate to help in a crisis phase of the disease .
Panic disorder: When a woman with panic disorder — characterized by anxiety,
abdominal pain, chest tightness, and palpitations — took 500 mg of
sodium benzoate daily, her panic symptoms were reduced by 61% in six
weeks .
Despite potential benefits, sodium benzoate can have side effects, including nausea, vomiting, and abdominal pain .
Additionally,
medicinal doses of sodium benzoate may deplete your body of the amino
acid carnitine, which plays a critical role in energy production. This
may make it necessary to take a carnitine supplement.
For
these reasons, sodium benzoate is only given as a prescription
medication in carefully controlled doses and with ongoing monitoring.
The
FDA allows up to a 0.1% concentration of sodium benzoate by weight in
foods and beverages. If used, it must be included in the ingredient list.
Your
body doesn’t accumulate sodium benzoate. Rather, you metabolize and
excrete it in your urine within 24 hours — which contributes to its
safety .
The
WHO has set the acceptable daily intake (ADI) level for sodium benzoate
to 0–2.27 mg per pound (0–5 mg per kg) of body weight. People generally
don’t exceed the ADI through a normal diet.
Still,
some people may be more sensitive to this additive. Consult a doctor
for appropriate testing if you suspect you have an allergy to sodium
benzoate.
As
for sodium benzoate in personal care products, the Environmental
Working Group ranks the additive at a hazard level of 3 on a scale of 0
to 10 — meaning that overall risk of its use is relatively low .
Sodium
benzoate is deemed safe, and people generally don’t exceed the ADI of
0–2.27 mg per pound (0–5 mg per kg) of body weight, though some
individuals may be more sensitive.
This additive has been linked to an increased risk of health issues like inflammation, ADHD, and obesity, but more research is needed.
Remember
that some additives lose their Generally Recognized As Safe (GRAS)
approval as new studies are completed, so it’s important to continue
evaluating its safety and to recognize individual variability how the
additive is tolerated.
Regardless, it’s always wise to minimize your intake of processed foods and select personal care products with fewer man-made additives and more natural ingredients.
THIS IS ONLY FOR INFORMATION, ALWAYS CONSULT YOU PHYSICIAN BEFORE
HAVING ANY PARTICULAR FOOD/ MEDICATION/EXERCISE/OTHER REMEDIES.
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