A huge study in France looked at how food preservatives affect the heart. Researchers followed 112,395 volunteers for about eight years. They recorded everything each person ate every six months.
The team found that almost everyone ate at least one preservative. The more preservatives a person ate, the higher their chance of high blood pressure and heart disease.
Key Findings
- People who ate the most non‑antioxidant preservatives had a 29% higher risk of hypertension.
- The same group faced a 16% higher risk of cardiovascular disease such as heart attacks or strokes.
- Those who ate the most antioxidant preservatives had a 22% higher risk of hypertension.
Eight specific preservatives were linked to higher blood‑pressure risk:
- Potassium sorbate (E202)
- Potassium metabisulphite (E224)
- Sodium nitrite (E250)
- Ascorbic acid (E300)
- Sodium ascorbate (E301)
- Sodium erythorbate (E316)
- Citric acid (E330)
- Rosemary extract (E392)
Among these, ascorbic acid (E300) was also tied directly to cardiovascular disease.
What This Means
Future work will explore how additives affect inflammation, oxidative stress, blood markers, and gut bacteria. Knowing the exact mechanisms could help create safer food guidelines.