Study links eight common food preservatives to higher hypertension and heart disease risk

In a prospective analysis of the NutriNet-Santé cohort, more than 112,000 French volunteers recorded detailed dietary data over seven to eight years. Researchers examined the presence of 17 common preservatives and found eight—potassium sorbate (E202), potassium metabisulphite (E224), sodium nitrite (E250), ascorbic acid (E300), sodium ascorbate (E301), sodium erythorbate (E316), citric acid (E330) and rosemary extract (E392)—that were statistically associated with elevated risk of hypertension and cardiovascular events.

Participants with the highest intake of non-antioxidant preservatives faced a 29% greater chance of developing high blood pressure and a 16% higher risk of heart attack, stroke or angina, while high antioxidant preservative consumption corresponded to a 22% increase in hypertension risk. The study, led by Mathilde Touvier and Anaïs Hasenböhler, acknowledges its observational limits but calls for regulatory review by bodies such as EFSA and the FDA. It also supports existing advice to favor minimally processed foods and limit additive exposure.