A large French study following 112,395 people for a median of 7.9 years found higher intake of several food preservatives is linked with increased risks of hypertension and cardiovascular disease. Researchers say the findings come from observational data, not
On supermarket shelves. the names are easy to glide past—“potassium sorbate. ” “citric acid. ” “L-ascorbic acid (vitamin C).” They’re there to slow spoilage and keep processed foods looking and tasting “right.” But a new study is putting some of those familiar labels under a harsh light. linking certain preservatives to higher risks of blood pressure problems and cardiovascular disease.
The research comes from a team led by scientists at Sorbonne Paris Nord University and Université Paris Cité. analyzing data from the NutriNet-Santé cohort study. The cohort followed 112. 395 participants for a median of 7.9 years. tracking how dietary preservative intake related to developing hypertension and cardiovascular disease. “Experimental studies suggest that some preservative food additives may be harmful to cardiovascular health. but we have not had enough evidence on the impact of these ingredients in humans. ” said Anaïs Hasenböhler. the doctoral researcher who led the study. in a press release. “As far as we know. this is the first study of its kind to investigate the links between a wide range of preservatives and cardiovascular health.”.
The starting point is how common preservatives are. More than 20 percent of the processed foods and beverages in the world’s largest open food database. Open Food Facts. contain at least one preservative. In the NutriNet-Santé analysis. nearly everyone—99.5 percent—reported consuming at least one preservative during the first two years of the study.
Preservatives were grouped into two broad categories. Non-antioxidant preservatives—such as sorbates, nitrites, and sulfites—are used to inhibit the growth of mold and bacteria. Antioxidant preservatives—including ascorbic acid, citric acid, and erythorbates—are used to prevent oxidation and discoloration in foods.
When the analysis compared people with the highest intake to those with the lowest, the pattern shifted. Participants with the highest intake of non-antioxidant preservatives had a 29 percent higher risk of developing hypertension. They also had a 16 percent higher risk of overall cardiovascular disease, including heart attack, stroke, and angina. For antioxidant preservatives, those with the highest intake had a 22 percent higher risk of hypertension.
The researchers didn’t stop at categories. They examined 17 of the most commonly consumed preservatives individually. Eight of them were associated with an increased risk of 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). Among these, ascorbic acid was also associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease.
As the follow-up period progressed, researchers recorded 5,544 cases of hypertension and 2,450 cases of cardiovascular disease. Those cardiovascular events included 1,142 cerebrovascular events and 1,308 cases of coronary artery disease.
One detail sharpened the stakes: the study found that approximately 16 percent of the association between non-antioxidant preservatives and cardiovascular disease was mediated indirectly through hypertension. In other words. the findings suggest a pathway in which preservatives may contribute to hypertension. which then increases the risk of cardiovascular disease.
Still, the researchers urged caution. They emphasized that the study is observational and does not establish a causal relationship between food preservatives and hypertension or cardiovascular disease. The limits are significant enough to matter: women accounted for 78.7 percent of participants. and the cohort included a relatively high proportion of highly educated individuals. meaning it does not perfectly represent the general population. Even with that. the statistical models accounted for a wide range of potential confounding factors. and the results remained consistent across multiple sensitivity analyses.
The practical conclusion came through the call for oversight. Mathilde Touvier. research director at the French National Institute of Health and Medical Research. said in a press release: “These results suggest we need a reevaluation of the risks and benefits of these food additives by the authorities in charge. such as the EFSA in Europe and the FDA in the USA. for better consumer protection.” Touvier added that. in the meantime. the findings support existing recommendations to favor nonprocessed and minimally processed foods and avoid unnecessary additives.
For many shoppers, the question isn’t abstract. Preservatives are already widely present, and some are consumed continuously across multiple foods without numerical limits on their use. The study’s findings—while not proving harm—are forcing a renewed debate about whether regulatory frameworks are still fit for a real-world diet where these additives often sit quietly in the background. day after day.
food preservatives hypertension cardiovascular disease NutriNet-Santé EFSA FDA potassium sorbate sodium nitrite citric acid ascorbic acid dietary additives