Common food preservatives found in the processed food supply may be associated with an increased risk of high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease, according to research published in the journal European Heart Magazine.
The study was led by Dr. Mathilde Touvier, research director at INSERM (the French National Institute for Health and Medical Research), and Anaïs Hasenböhler, a PhD student, both from the Nutritional Epidemiology Research Team at Université Sorbonne Paris Nord and Université Paris Cité, France.
Preservatives are added to foods for several reasons, including preventing the growth of bacteria and mold, slowing spoilage, and helping products maintain their color, flavor, or freshness longer. Because these ingredients are so widely used, researchers wanted to better understand whether long-term exposure could be linked to cardiovascular health.
Ms Hasenböhler said: “Food preservatives are used in hundreds of thousands of industrially processed foods. Experimental studies suggest that some preservative food additives may be harmful to cardiovascular health, but we have not had sufficient evidence on the impact of these ingredients on humans. To our knowledge, this is the first study of its kind to investigate the links between a wide range of preservatives and cardiovascular health.”
Tracking diet and heart health in more than 112,000 people
The work was done as part of NutriNet-Santé, a large ongoing research project examining the connections between nutrition and health. The analysis included 112,395 volunteers living throughout France.
Every six months, participants recorded everything they ate and drank over a three-day period. This gave researchers unusually detailed information about their diets rather than relying solely on broad estimates of food consumption.
The research team then examined the ingredients in those foods and drinks, including the preservatives they contained. Participants were followed for an average of seven to eight years so researchers could track whether they developed high blood pressure or cardiovascular diseases such as heart attack, stroke or angina.
Exposure to preservatives was almost universal. During the first two years of participation, 99.5% of the volunteers consumed at least one food preservative.
Higher intake of preservatives linked to higher risk
The strongest associations appeared among people who consumed higher amounts of certain preservatives.
Participants with the highest intake of “non-antioxidant” preservatives had a 29% higher risk of hypertension than those who consumed the lowest amounts. They also had a 16% higher risk of cardiovascular disease, including heart attacks, strokes and angina.
People who consumed higher amounts of antioxidant preservatives had a 22% increased risk of hypertension.
The two categories protect food in different ways. Non-antioxidant preservatives are generally used to prevent the growth of potentially harmful microorganisms, including bacteria and mold. Instead, antioxidant preservatives slow oxidation, a chemical process that can cause foods to brown, develop off-flavors, or become rancid.
Eight common preservatives highlighted
The researchers also analyzed 17 of the most commonly consumed preservatives by participants.
Eight were specifically associated with an increased risk of high blood pressure: potassium sorbate (E202), potassium metabisulfite (E224), sodium nitrite (E250), ascorbic acid (E300), sodium ascorbate (E301), sodium erythorbate (E316), citric acid (E330), and rosemary extracts (E392).
Ascorbic acid (E300) was also specifically associated with cardiovascular disease.
These findings do not mean that consuming one of these ingredients necessarily causes high blood pressure or heart disease. The research was observational, meaning it identified statistical associations rather than showing that preservatives were directly responsible for the increased risks.
Dr. Touvier added: “This study has some limitations inherent to its observational design. However, the findings are based on very detailed data and we have taken into account other factors that may increase or reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease. Experimental research in the literature consistently suggested that preservatives may cause oxidative stress in the body or affect the way the pancreas functions.
“These results suggest that we need a re-evaluation of the risks and benefits of these food additives by responsible authorities, such as the EFSA in Europe and the FDA in the US, for better consumer protection. Meanwhile, these findings support existing recommendations to favor unprocessed and minimally processed foods, and avoid unnecessary additives. Doctors and other health professionals play a key role in explaining these recommendations to the public.”
Why preservatives could affect the body
One possible explanation involves oxidative stress. This occurs when reactive molecules build up faster than the body’s protective systems can neutralize them, potentially damaging cells and tissues over time.
Researchers are also investigating whether preservatives could influence pancreatic function. The pancreas plays a central role in regulating blood sugar and metabolism, so changes in its function could have broader effects throughout the body.
The team is now studying how food additives and ultra-processed foods can influence inflammation, oxidative stress, blood metabolic profile and gut microbiota.
The gut microbiota refers to the huge community of bacteria and other microorganisms that live in the digestive tract. These microbes are increasingly being studied for their potential roles in metabolism, immune function, and cardiovascular health.
By examining these biological changes, researchers hope to better understand why exposure to certain additives may be associated with an increased risk of disease and whether the preservatives themselves contribute to those effects.