science
French Study Links Eight Food Preservatives to Higher Hypertension Risk
Researchers tracked 112,395 adults for seven to eight years and found higher intakes of specific additives tied to increased cardiovascular risks.
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A study published last month in the European Heart Journal found that participants with the highest intake of non-antioxidant preservatives faced a 29 percent higher risk of hypertension and a 16 percent increased risk of cardiovascular disease compared with those who consumed the least.
The same analysis showed that participants with the highest intake of antioxidant preservatives had a 22 percent greater risk of hypertension. Eight individual preservatives were each associated with higher blood pressure 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 (E300) was also linked to cardiovascular disease. The study formed part of the NutriNet-Santé project in France. Participants recorded everything they ate and drank over three-day periods every six months, and researchers tracked their health for an average of seven to eight years.
5 percent of the 112,395 participants had consumed at least one type of preservative. Anaïs Hasenböhler, a study lead, said, "Food preservatives are used in hundreds of thousands of industrially processed foods. " Dr.
Mathilde Touvier, another study lead and research director at INSERM, said the findings are based on highly detailed data and account for other cardiovascular risk factors. She noted that experimental research has suggested preservatives may cause oxidative stress or affect pancreatic function.
Touvier called for authorities such as the EFSA in Europe and the FDA in the United States to re-evaluate the risks and benefits of these additives.
Dr. Gultekin Faik Hobikoglu, professor of cardiology at Medicana Health Group, said people who consume large amounts of processed foods tend to suffer from higher blood pressure and heart disease. He cautioned that observational studies cannot establish cause-and-effect relationships and recommended focusing on home-cooked meals with fresh fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, whole grains, beans, fish, and simple dairy products while limiting highly processed foods.
