Study Links Eight Common Preservatives to Heart Risk

A large French study in the European Heart Journal ties eight everyday food preservatives to higher risks of hypertension and cardiovascular disease.

Researchers led by Dr. Mathilde Touvier of INSERM and PhD student Anaïs Hasenböhler, part of the Nutritional Epidemiology Research Team at Université Sorbonne Paris Nord and Université Paris Cité, published findings in the European Heart Journal drawing on 112,395 NutriNet-Santé volunteers across France. Every six months, participants logged everything they ate and drank over three days, and they were followed for an average of seven to eight years. According to ScienceDaily and Gulf News, those with the highest intake of non-antioxidant preservatives had a 29% higher risk of hypertension and a 16% higher risk of cardiovascular disease, while the highest antioxidant preservative intake was linked to a 22% higher hypertension risk.

Among the 17 preservatives consumed most often, the team identified eight specifically associated with higher hypertension risk: potassium sorbate (E202), potassium metabisulphite (E224), sodium nitrite (E250), ascorbic acid (E300), sodium ascorbate (E301), sodium erythorbate (E316), citric acid (E330) and extracts of rosemary (E392). Ascorbic acid was also specifically associated with cardiovascular disease. For home cooks, the surprise is how familiar these names are — vitamin C-derived antioxidants, citric acid and even rosemary extract appear in countless pantry staples, not just lab-sounding industrial ingredients. Exposure was nearly universal: 99.5% of volunteers consumed at least one preservative in their first two years.

Both outlets stress the study was observational, so it found statistical associations rather than proof that preservatives caused the higher risks; eating one of these ingredients does not mean you will develop hypertension or heart disease. Gulf News calls the result 'a warning, though not a verdict.' Hasenböhler said that, as far as the team knows, this is the first study of its kind to investigate links between a wide range of preservatives and cardiovascular health. Possible mechanisms under study include oxidative stress and effects on pancreatic function, which plays a central role in regulating blood sugar and metabolism.

Dr. Touvier said the results suggest regulators such as the EFSA in Europe and the FDA in the USA should re-evaluate the risks and benefits of these additives for better consumer protection, and that the findings support existing advice to favor non-processed and minimally processed foods. The team is now studying how food additives and ultra-processed foods may influence inflammation, oxidative stress, blood metabolic profiles and the gut microbiota. For food lovers, the practical takeaway from the researchers is less about individual ingredients and more about overall patterns of industrially processed food in the diet.