French Study Links 8 Preservatives to Higher Heart Risks in 112,395 People

3 articles · Updated · Gulf News · Sep 21

Eight common food preservatives were associated with higher hypertension risk in a French study of 112,395 adults, with ascorbic acid also linked to cardiovascular disease.
Participants with the highest intake of non-antioxidant preservatives showed a 29% higher hypertension risk and 16% higher cardiovascular disease risk, while antioxidant preservatives were tied to a 22% higher hypertension risk.
The findings come from the NutriNet-Santé cohort, where volunteers logged food and drink every six months and were followed for about seven to eight years for heart attack, stroke, angina and high blood pressure.
Researchers said the study is observational and cannot prove causation, but argued the detailed dietary data support calls for regulators such as EFSA and the FDA to reassess preservative risks.
With 99.5% of participants consuming at least one preservative, the team is now studying whether oxidative stress, pancreatic effects, inflammation and gut microbiota changes help explain the associations.