A new study published in the European Heart Journal suggests that eating foods containing common preservatives may raise the risk of high blood pressure and heart disease.
The study, led by researchers from INSERM (the French National Institute for Health and Medical Research) and universities in France, was part of the large NutriNet-Santé research project. More than 112,000 volunteers took part in the study. Every six months, participants recorded everything they ate and drank over three days. Researchers then analyzed the ingredients in these foods and tracked participants' health for around seven to eight years.
"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 enough evidence on the impact of these ingredients in humans. 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," said study author Anaïs Hasenböhler.
The study found that 99.5 percent of participants consumed at least one food preservative during the first two years of the study.
Researchers discovered that people who consumed the highest amounts of certain preservatives had a greater risk of health problems. Those who ate the most 'non-antioxidant' preservatives had a 29 percent higher risk of developing high blood pressure and a 16 percent higher risk of cardiovascular diseases such as heart attack, stroke, and angina. People who consumed the most antioxidant preservatives also had a 22 percent higher risk of high blood pressure.
The researchers also identified eight commonly used preservatives linked to high blood pressure, such as potassium sorbate, sodium nitrite, citric acid, and rosemary extract, among others. Notably, one preservative, ascorbic acid, was also linked to a higher risk of cardiovascular disease.
"These results suggest we need a re-evaluation 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 U.S., for better consumer protection," said study author Mathilde Touvier.
"In the meantime, these findings support existing recommendations to favor non-processed and minimally processed foods, and avoid unnecessary additives. Doctors and other health care professionals play a key role in explaining these recommendations to the public."
The research team is now studying how food additives and ultra-processed foods may affect inflammation, gut bacteria, and other changes in the body that could increase disease risk.
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