Piper says that benzoate can cause “substantial damage” to mitochondria, the small ‘power stations’ within our cells that consume most of the oxygen we breathe in order to generate Adenosine 5’-triphosphate (ATP). He also claims that DNA damage of this kind has been linked to several medical conditions. It is thought to be instrumental in the liver cirrhosis caused by chronic alcoholism, the neuronal cell death of Parkinson’s disease, as well as to the progressive decline in our general state of health in old age.
It is common knowledge that sodium benzoate, when combined with Vitamin C (Ascorbic acid), produces free benzene, a known carcinogenic. A 2006 UK Food Standards Agency survey on benzene in beverages found high levels in 4 brands, which were then removed from the UK market.