8 common food additives linked to high blood pressure and heart disease — SkimNews
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- NutriNet-Santé researchers tracked 112,395 French adults for an average of 7–8 years, finding that 99.5% of volunteers consumed at least one food preservative during the study's first two years
- Participants with the highest intake of non-antioxidant preservatives faced a 29% higher risk of hypertension and a 16% higher risk of cardiovascular disease (heart attack, stroke, angina) compared to those with the lowest intake
- Highest consumers of antioxidant preservatives had a 22% higher risk of hypertension, according to the analysis published in the European Heart Journal
- Eight specific preservatives were tied to higher hypertension risk: potassium sorbate (E202), potassium metabisulphite (E224), sodium nitrite (E250), ascorbic acid (E300), sodium ascorbate (E301), sodium erythorbate (E316), citric acid (E330), and rosemary extracts (E392)
- Ascorbic acid (E300) was the only preservative additionally linked to cardiovascular disease specifically, beyond its hypertension association
- Dr. Mathilde Touvier and PhD student Anaïs Hasenböhler of Université Sorbonne Paris Nord and Université Paris Cité called on the EFSA and FDA to re-evaluate the risks and benefits of these additives for better consumer protection
- Proposed mechanisms under further investigation include oxidative stress and disruption of pancreatic function, with new work examining links to inflammation, blood metabolic profiles, and gut microbiota
Why it matters: With 99.5% of 112,395 participants consuming at least one preservative and eight common additives showing 22–29% higher hypertension risk at top consumption levels, the researchers explicitly call for re-evaluation by EFSA and the FDA. The findings give the largest human-cohort backing yet to existing guidance to favor minimally processed foods.
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