DIY: Lemon Juice (Preservative Free!)

Normally, Sean and I don't use lemon juice very often. It's needed for the occasional recipe, or when you need to keep cut-up apples from browning too quickly. So like most of us, we have kept a store-bought bottle of preservative-filled lemon juice in the fridge which sits there for months in its plastic container, which further leaches chemicals into it. Yum.

Well now that we're making our own bread on a regular basis - which calls for lemon juice - we decided to ditch the bottle and make our own. It couldn't be simpler:

fresh-squeezed lemon juice ice cubes

(this obviously requires that you own a citrus juicer...we got ours from my in-laws and it's an old dinosaur, but works wonderfully)

1. Buy a bag of fresh lemons

2. Juice them and strain the seeds and pulp

3. Take an ice cube tray and fill each compartment (mine fits 2 tablespoons each)

4. Keep frozen until you need some!

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Why bother making your own?

The simple reason for making your own is to avoid preservatives.

I think we too easily dismiss preservatives as being okay for us, making them an acceptable part of eating processed food (especially since the FDA says they are safe in small amounts). But how many of us have looked at what these preservatives really are? How are they made, what are the made from, and which ones are truly harmful and should be avoided? Ultimately, do we want to be consuming them on a daily basis?

Okay, so I looked on foodfacts.com and searched for "lemon juice." It came up with about 16 products, all receiving a grade of C or D (the organics got a B). They got these grades mostly because of their "controversial ingredients" and that they have added sugar.

They all had very similar ingredients, particularly two preservatives: Sodium Bisulfite and Sodium Benzoate (these are the controversial ingredients).

Should we accept that these preservatives are safe for us because the FDA says they are? Or should we learn more and make our own decision?

Sodium Bisulfite

This is a chemical preservative used to prevent discoloration and bacterial growth.

From what I have read, Sodium Bisulfite was unregulated until the 1980's. It was used in processed foods, but also on fresh vegetables - like greens on a salad bar - to prevent browning. Many people had severe allergic reactions to it when they came in contact with concentrated amounts. There were even 13 deaths. After this was realized, the FDA put restrictions and limits on its use, but it is still widely used.

Health Risks of Sodium Bisulfite:

Sodium bisulfite may cause a potentially serious allergic reaction in some individuals.

Some people may lack the enzyme that is necessary to break down sulfites in the body after they are ingested. . .According to the Food and Drug Administration, about half a percent of the U.S. population, or approximately 1 million people, lack the enzyme that prevents a sulfite allergy.

Depending on the severity of your allergy and the amount of sulfites you have ingested, these symptoms can range from mild to severe. In rare cases, sulfites can cause your throat to swell to the point where your airway is blocked, causing asphyxiation and death.

The Dangers of Sodium Bisulfite:

Sodium bisulfite is safe for many people when consumed in small quantities that are used in processed foods. . .Today manufacturers that sell products that contain sulfites must declare the preservative and amount on the food label. Nonetheless, you can develop sensitivities to sulfites at any time during your life, even if you never had any problem consuming these substances before.

So it seems that as long as you don't have an allergy to sulfites, this won't be harmful to you. But as that last quote says, you can develop a sensitivity to it at any time in your life. For you, is this preservative an acceptable risk to take?

Sodium Benzoate

This is a chemical preservative used to help prevent the growth of bacteria and fungus in acidic products.

How is Sodium Benzoate Used in Food?:

Sodium benzoate, when combined with vitamin C, forms benzene. Benzene is a carcinogen and is known to contribute to the formation of many different types of cancer. However, the Food and Drug Administration states that food products that contain both vitamin C and sodium benzoate express benzene levels that are below the dangerous limit.

I don't know about you, but I don't want to consume ANYTHING that has the potential of giving me cancer. I don't care what the FDA says about it being within safe limits.

An article on naturalnews.com has more to say about this "safe" preservative.

Sodium benzoate is a preservative that promotes cancer and kills healthy cells:

(Sodium benzoate) has the ability to deprive the cells of oxygen, break down the immune system and cause cancer.

Sodium benzoate chokes out your body's nutrients at the DNA cellular level by depriving mitochondria cells of oxygen, sometimes completely shutting them down. 

The FDA says it's safe because the amount used to preserve foods is very low, but don't ever combine it with vitamin C or E, as this causes benzene to be formed. This is dangerous. Benzene is a known carcinogen, which means it causes cancer.

So now why is it put in food? It's the cheapest mold inhibiter on the market, so it's all about the money. Acidic foods tend to grow bacteria, mold and yeast more easily than non-acidic foods, so the sodium benzoate extends the shelf life, while it shortens human life.

Cancer is all about the cumulative effect. When the human body is exposed repeatedly to any level of this carcinogen, which rears its ugly head in thousands of products, the immune system, over time, is depleted to the point that one acquires an immune deficiency. Then the body does not have enough essential nutrients to detoxify, and this occurs at the cellular level. Parkinson's, neuro-degenerative diseases, and premature aging have all been attributed to this infamous preservative.

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I'm not taking any chances with the health of my family. We will not be consuming anymore bottled lemon juice, or anything else with Sodium Benzoate it (oh, and it's also in soda to enhance the flavor of the high fructose corn syrup).

Be smart about your food choices. Educate yourself on what you buy from the store!