European Heart Journal: Food Additives May Increase the Risk of Heart Disease

A study published in the European Heart Journal suggests that regular consumption of foods containing common preservatives may be associated with a higher risk of hypertension and cardiovascular disease.

Researchers emphasize that the concern is not tied to individual foods, but rather to the cumulative effect of additives commonly found in large amounts of industrially processed foods.

The study involved more than 112,000 volunteers in France as part of the large-scale NutriNet-Santé project. Participants provided detailed dietary records every six months, and their health status was monitored for an average of 7–8 years. During this period, researchers analyzed the relationship between the consumption of various food additives and the development of hypertension, heart attack, stroke, and other cardiovascular diseases.

The findings showed that nearly all participants (around 99.5%) consumed at least one preservative during the first years of observation. Individuals with the highest intake of “non-antioxidant” preservatives had an approximately 29% higher risk of developing hypertension and a 16% higher risk of cardiovascular disease compared with those who consumed the lowest amounts.

Researchers identified several commonly used additives that showed associations with elevated blood pressure and/or cardiovascular risks. These included 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).

The authors stress that the study is observational and does not prove a direct cause-and-effect relationship. However, the findings are consistent with experimental studies suggesting that some preservatives may contribute to oxidative stress and influence metabolic processes in the body.

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