A large observational French study has found that eight common food preservatives are associated with a significantly increased risk of hypertension and cardiovascular disease. Conducted by scientists at Sorbonne Paris Nord University and Université Paris Cité, the research analyzed data from 112,395 participants in the NutriNet-Santé cohort over a median follow-up of 7.9 years. The findings suggest that intake of both non-antioxidant and antioxidant preservatives may contribute to heart conditions, raising questions about the safety of additives long considered harmless.
Eight Specific Preservatives Tied to Hypertension
Researchers divided preservatives into two categories: non-antioxidant preservatives (such as sorbates, nitrites, and sulfites) that inhibit mold and bacteria, and antioxidant preservatives (including ascorbic acid, citric acid, and erythorbates) that prevent oxidation and discoloration. Nearly all participants (99.5%) consumed at least one preservative during the first two years. Those with the highest intake of non-antioxidant preservatives had a 29% higher risk of developing hypertension and a 16% higher risk of overall cardiovascular disease (heart attack, stroke, angina) compared to those with the lowest intake. For antioxidant preservatives, the hypertension risk was 22% higher. Among the 17 most commonly consumed preservatives, eight were associated with hypertension: potassium sorbate (E202), potassium metabisulfite (E224), sodium nitrite (E250), ascorbic acid (E300), sodium ascorbate (E301), sodium erythorbate (E316), citric acid (E330), and rosemary extract (E392). Ascorbic acid was also linked to increased cardiovascular disease risk.
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Hypertension as a Mediator of Cardiovascular Risk
During follow-up, researchers recorded 5,544 cases of hypertension and 2,450 cases of cardiovascular disease, including 1,142 cerebrovascular events and 1,308 cases of coronary artery disease. The study estimated that approximately 16% of the association between non-antioxidant preservatives and cardiovascular disease was mediated through hypertension. In other words, preservatives may contribute to hypertension, which in turn increases cardiovascular risk. Although observational and not establishing causation, the results remained consistent after adjusting for numerous confounding factors. Lead researcher Anaïs Hasenböhler noted that this is the first large-scale study to examine links between a wide range of preservatives and cardiovascular health.
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Calls for Regulatory Reassessment
Mathilde Touvier, research director at INSERM, stated that the findings suggest a need for authorities like EFSA in Europe and the FDA in the United States to reevaluate the risks and benefits of these additives. In the meantime, the evidence supports existing recommendations to favor non-processed and minimally processed foods and to avoid unnecessary additives. The possibility that long-regarded safe preservatives could affect cardiovascular health reopens the debate over the adequacy of current regulations, especially for additives consumed continuously without numerical limits. For insights on how health data can inform prevention, see the article on Digital Medical Records. More information on preservatives is available on Wikipedia.
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