Nature Communications: Sodium nitrite increases prostate cancer risk by 30%

The use of some common food preservatives may be linked to a small increase in the risk of developing oncological diseases and type 2 diabetes, French researchers have concluded. The findings of their respective study were published in the journal Nature Communications (NatCom).

The study was based on data from a large-scale long-term project, in which more than 100 thousand residents of France regularly filled out detailed questionnaires about their diet. Scientists compared information on the use of food additives with subsequent diagnoses of the participants.

The clearest link was found between sodium nitrite and prostate cancer: the risk increased by about a third. Also, the researchers emphasize that the absolute increase in risk remains moderate. For comparison, active smoking increases the risk of lung cancer by more than 15 times.

A link has also been found between the use of certain food additives and the development of type 2 diabetes. In particular, the preservative potassium sorbate, which is used to suppress the growth of mold and bacteria, was associated with a twofold increase in the risk of the disease.

French epidemiologist Mathilde Touvier, who supervised the study, emphasized that this is not a direct cause-and-effect relationship. According to her, consumption of foods with preservatives does not mean that a person will immediately get cancer, but the level of exposure to such substances should be limited. The main recommendation for consumers is to choose minimally processed foods whenever possible.

Experts agree that additional research is needed before drawing definitive conclusions or changing consumer behavior. Possible measures under discussion include, for example, the introduction of warning labels on foods containing nitrites and nitrates.