Recent research from a British university have found that a common preservative found in drinks such as Fanta and Pepsi Max may have the ability to switch off vital parts of DNA thus causing cellular damage. Given that soda is a staple in most gamers' diets, this could be cause for some alarm for gamers who love soft drinks.

The preservative E211, otherwise known as sodium benzoate, has been used for decades in the creation of carbonated drinks. The product is said to be used in huge amounts to stop mold from forming. Sprite, Oasis, and Dr. Pepper are known to use the said preservative in their drink.

The effects of taking soda which uses the said preservative manifests itself with symptoms associated with aging and alcohol abuse such as cirrhosis of the liver and degenerative diseases like Parkinson's.

Peter Piper, a professor of molecular biology and biotechnology, tested the effects of sodium benzoate on living yeast cells in a laboratory. The tests have shown that the benzoate was damaging the mitochondria of the cells. He also gave a short analysis on the preservative and its effects.

These chemicals have the ability to cause severe damage to DNA in the mitochondria to the point that they totally inactivate it: they knock it out altogether.

The mitochondria consumes the oxygen to give you energy and if you damage it - as happens in a number if diseased states - then the cell starts to malfunction very seriously. And there is a whole array of diseases that are now being tied to damage to this DNA - Parkinson's and quite a lot of neuro-degenerative diseases, but above all the whole process of ageing.

The food industry will say these compounds have been tested and they are complete safe. By the criteria of modern safety testing, the safety tests were inadequate. Like all things, safety testing moves forward and you can conduct a much more rigorous safety test than you could 50 years ago.