A new study shows that an ingredient in soda exposes Americans to a higher risk of cancer. Read more on the story after the jump! 

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Soda drinkers could be exposed to excess amounts of 4-methylimidazole, which is a chemical that may cause cancer. According to researchers from the Johns Hopkins Center for a Livable Future, between 44% and 58% of people over the age of 6 could be exposed to an ‘unnecessary cancer risk’ by drinking at least one can of soda a day. Many soda makers usually add caramel coloring to give colas and root beers their brownish hue. This process can then produce a possible carcinogen called 4-methylimidazole (4-MEI) that can then show up in the beverage. Dr. Keeve Nachman, a study author says that, “Soft drink consumers are being exposed to an avoidable and unnecessary cancer risk from an ingredient that is being added to these beverages simply for aesthetic purposes.”

During the study, researchers paired soda consumption data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey with a Consumer Reports analysis of 4-MEI levels in 110 soft drink samples purchased in California and the New York metropolitan area. They did this in order to assess the impact of 4-MEI on Americans. According to the Consumer Reports study, many sodas contain 3.4 micrograms to 352.5 micrograms of 4-MEI per 12 ounce serving, but the 4-MEI levels varied in samples of the same type of soda.

Tyler Smith, the lead author of the Johns Hopkins study, says, “for example, for diet colas, certain samples had higher or more variable levels of the compound, while other samples had very low concentrations.” Researchers also said that some of the California soft drinks that were tested had lower levels of the chemical than the same soda from another state. This may have to do with California’s Proposition 65. Proposition 65 requires companies to put warnings of products that expose consumers to more than 29 micrograms of 4-MeI per day. The Food and Drug Administration does not restrict the amount of 4-MEI in drinks and food. The agency says, “eliminating it entirely is virtually impossible” but companies can reduce the amount produced during manufacturing. Researchers have urged the FDA to set maximum levels for the chemical in the beverages. Nachman goes on to say, “(This) could be a valuable approach to reducing excess cancer risk attributable to 4-MEI exposure in the U.S. population.”

Scary!

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