Sodium Benzoate

The truth about the preservative

Sodium Benzoate

The seemingly safe preservative Sodium Benzoate is added to lot of foods like sodas, vinegar, fruit juice, salad dressings, wine and pickles. When combined with ascorbic acid or vitamin C, it can form the chemical Benzene (benzol), a highly carcinogenic substance exposure to which can lead to serious health effects.

Some fruit juice brands claim to have high amounts of antioxidants in their juices while using sodium benzoate as a preservative. While those antioxidants help to protect human cells from the damage done by free radicals (molecules responsible for aging, tissue damage, and other diseases), sodium benzoate (in conjunction with the fruits' vitamin C) does the exact opposite. It creates Benzene that damages human cells and creates various health risks. The risks include inflammation processes that eventually lead to damaging DNA and cell processes, degenerative diseases, etc.

Sodium Benzoate is on the list of unacceptable ingredients for food in Whole Foods Markets http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/products/unacceptable-ingredients.php

Excerpt from http://www.health-report.co.uk/benzene.htm:
"ALL moist or liquid processed foods have chemicals in them for preservation. These preservatives when combined with vitamin C (ascorbic acid) may damage your health permanently"

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Read your food's ingredients list!

Prebiotics

Prebiotics and Probiotics

Probiotics are bacteria in our body that keep us healthy. It mainly colonizes these organs: mouth, skin, genital organs, and intestinal tract. When it is imbalanced or compromised by bad bacteria, we start getting all kinds of symptoms as our immune system weakens. It can range from chronic fatigue, cramps, abdominal pain, colitis, to yeast infection, and other problems.

To avoid disruption of our micro-environment, we need to follow a good daily diet and try to stay away from antibiotics when possible. Anytime our good bacteria is challenged, our old problems like allergies and infections re-surface and we need more prescriptions to get rid their symptoms. Many prescriptions, as we know, produce side effects and eventually a normal healthy person becomes ill with a bouquet of illnesses.

How can you avoid this chain reaction?
The solution is not so easy in the modern world. In fact, it seems to be very challenging. The reason is that more then 60% of the US population is either obese or overweight. The solution, therefore, would be to eat the "right" food and drink a lot of liquids. But what are the right foods?

Incorporating green or colorful veggies and fruits, drinking a lot of liquids (at least 8 large glasses a day) and avoiding highly processed food and sugar is a wonderful start. Supplementing your diet with probiotics and prebiotics is the next step. You can find varieties available on the market.

Here is a difference between them:
A probiotic is a good bacteria. Prebiotics are a meal for good bacteria that feeds and nourishes it, insoluble and soluble fiber from plants. Please note, however, that not all probiotic supplements are beneficial or effective. Here is a list to go to when choosing your probiotic: http://www.beta-glucan-info.com/compare_probiotics.htm

Probiotic Food Examples:

• yogurt 
• kefir 
• miso 
• tampeh 
• Sauerkraut 

Prebiotic Food Examples:

EIRO Research Convention 2010

• Inulin and Oligofructose (carbohydrate found in plants. To learn more: http://www.ehow.com/about_5521701_oligofructose.html) 
• Honey 
• Greens 
• Legumes 
• Root vegetables 
• Whole Wheat (90% insoluble) 
• Oat Bran (50/50) 
• Breast milk 
• Onions 
• Garlic 
• Apricots 
• Broccolli 
• Squash 
• Oranges 
• Peas 
• Bananas 
• Berries 
• Asparagus 
• Barley 
• Flaxseed 
• Brown Rice 
• Rye 
• Jerusalem artichoke 
• Chicory(warning, can cause excess gas in some people) 
• Legumes (lentils, kidney beans, chickpeas, navy beans, white beans, black beans) 
• Plums/Prunes 
• Apricots 
• Broccolli 
• Carrots 
• Squash 
• Peas 
• Oranges 

If you still think you are not getting enough prebiotic food from your daily meal and need to supplement your diet, I recommend EIRO Pur, cutting-edge product on the market that incorporates prebiotic and detox blends together. You can learn more about the product here: http://bit.ly/EIROpur

Some Facts About Bacteria:
- There is 10 times more bacteria in our body then cells!
- Maintaining our gut healthy provides robust immune system, increases absorbtion of calcium and magnesium, slows aging, weight loss, etc.
- We have about 160 bacteria in our intestinal tract
- There is a correlation between good/bad bacteria and obesity:

EIRO Research Convention 2010

Sources:
- http://www.beta-glucan-info.com/probiotic_facts.htm
- EIRO Research Convention 2010, presenting EIRO Pur Prebiotic
- http://vegetarian.lovetoknow.com/What_Foods_Contain_Probiotic
- http://www.gicare.com/our-practice/prebiotic.aspx
- http://www.candidafood.com/2009/11/candida-and-prebiotic-foods-list/