Study links preservatives to 29% higher blood pressure risk

Researchers published a study in the *European Heart Journal* on May 20 that linked higher intake of some common food preservatives to higher rates of high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease. The paper followed 112,395 adults in France in the NutriNet-Santé cohort and examined how preservative exposure tracked with later diagnoses over roughly seven to eight years. The highest intake of so-called non-antioxidant preservatives was associated with a 29% higher risk of hypertension and a 16% higher risk of cardiovascular disease, including heart attack, stroke and angina. The findings were summarized this week by HealthDay, Scripps News and other outlets. ### Which preservatives were tied to the biggest risks? The European Society of Cardiology said eight preservative food additives were linked in the study to high blood pressure or cardiovascular disease. HealthDay’s summary named sodium nitrite, potassium sorbate and citric acid among the preservatives associated with higher blood pressure, and said ascorbic acid, also known as E300, was specifically linked to heart disease. (academic.oup.com) The study separated preservatives into broad groups. Researchers found people consuming the most non-antioxidant preservatives — additives used to limit mold and bacterial growth — had the 29% higher hypertension risk and the 16% higher cardiovascular disease risk. People consuming the most antioxidant preservatives — additives used to slow browning or rancidity — had a 22% higher risk of hypertension, according to the ESC press release and multiple news summaries. (escardio.org) ### How did the researchers measure this? The NutriNet-Santé study in France collected repeated 24-hour dietary records, including commercial brand information, and used composition databases and laboratory assays to estimate additive exposure, according to the journal abstract. The ESC said participants reported everything they ate and drank over three days every six months, and researchers then tracked whether they developed hypertension or cardiovascular disease. (escardio.org) The cohort ran from 2009 to 2024, according to the journal abstract, and 99.5% of participants had consumed at least one food preservative within the first two years of taking part. That scale is one reason outside experts said the paper adds detail to broader research on ultra-processed foods. ### Does this prove preservatives caused heart problems? Anaïs Hasenböhler, a doctoral student at Université Sorbonne Paris Nord and a co-lead author, said the study is the first of its kind to examine links between a wide range of preservatives and cardiovascular health in humans. (academic.oup.com) But the paper, as described by the journal and the ESC, reports associations rather than proving direct causation. Tracy Parker of the British Heart Foundation, who was not involved in the research, said the findings help explain why ultra-processed foods may appear more harmful than their nutrient profiles alone would suggest. Parker also said the study was among the first large analyses to examine individual preservatives rather than treating ultra-processed foods as a single category. (escardio.org) ### Why did researchers highlight “natural” preservatives too? CNN’s report on the study said antioxidant preservatives such as citric acid and ascorbic acid — widely known as vitamin C — were also associated with higher blood pressure risk when used as additives in processed foods. Senior author Mathilde Touvier said those compounds are “not exactly natural” in that context and said the findings should not be read as applying to the naturally occurring versions found in fruits and vegetables. (abc17news.com) HealthDay said Touvier also called for agencies including the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the European Food Safety Authority to re-evaluate the risks and benefits of these additives. In the meantime, she said the findings support existing advice to favor non-processed and minimally processed foods and avoid unnecessary additives. ### What should readers watch for next? (abc17news.com) The European Heart Journal paper is now the primary record for the findings, and follow-up coverage is likely to focus on whether regulators or public-health agencies respond. The named researchers on the paper include Anaïs Hasenböhler and Mathilde Touvier, and the study sits within the NutriNet-Santé cohort, which continues to generate research on food additives and long-term health. (academic.oup.com) (usnews.com)