Safer Than Soda Pop

I was reading an article on PBS.org recently that was talking about Soda Pop.

Specifically The Caramel Color in soda pop and a study that was conducted recently linking consumption of this color to increased risk of cancer.

It was actually a specific component of caramel color called 4-methylimidazole.

A quote from the article on PBS.org below reveals more:

Center for a Livable Future at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and Consumer Reports found that every day, “more than half of Americans between the ages of 6 and 64 typically drink soda in amounts that could expose them to enough 4-MEI to increase their cancer risk.”

The article said that a study found that soda pop can contain up to 352.4 micrograms per 12-ounce soda.

In California anything containing more than 29 micrograms of 4-methylimidazole must have a label with a cancer warning on it.

One of the most startling quotes from the article was the number of cancer cases we may see over the next 70 years:

"in the next 70 years, there could potentially be between 76 and 5,000 cases of cancer in the U.S. caused by 4-MEI exposure alone."



Here is a link to the actual article 

Link to article here

Of course we all know marijuana does not cause cancer. 
In fact, in some cases the active compounds in marijuana have been found to cure cancer. 

here are a couple of articles on marijuana curing cancer. 

Active Ingredient in Marijuana Kills Brain Cancer Cells



"Miracle" Cannabis Oil: May Treat Cancer, But Money and the Law Stand in the Way of Finding Out