French studies link dietary habits and additives to health risks

Recent scientific studies conducted in France have identified significant health risks associated with dietary patterns and food additives. Research from the National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food and Environment (INRAE) has linked “dietary jet lag”—the variation in meal timings between workdays and weekends—to an increased risk of cardiovascular disease. Analyzing data from over 104,000 adults in the NutriNet-Santé cohort, researchers found that shifting meal times by one to two hours can interfere with the biological clock.

In a separate analysis by the National Institute of Health and Medical Research (INSERM), studies involving more than 100,000 adults suggested a connection between certain industrial food preservatives and increased risks of cancer and type 2 diabetes. While not all additives were linked to illness, higher consumption of specific substances, such as potassium sorbate, sodium nitrite, and potassium nitrate, showed associations with higher tumor incidence, including breast and prostate cancers. These findings are driving industry interest in high-pressure technologies to ensure food safety without artificial preservatives.