New research in Britain has found that a food preservative called sodium benzoate -- commonly used in sodas like Fanta, Pepsi Max, Sprite, Oasis and Dr Pepper, as well as thousands of canned and jar food products -- can actually "switch off" important functions of DNA, leading to cirrhosis of the liver, Parkinson's and other diseases. Sodium benzoate mixed with vitamin C has previously been found to cause cancer. So now the list of diseases cause by soft drinks looks like this:

* cirrhosis of the liver
* Parkinson's
* diabetes
* obesity
* cancer
* hyperactivity

Millions of people drink soda every day. In addition to causing all these diseases, soda displaces water in the diet, which of course is needed for healthy functioning of all human organs.