Study links eight common food preservatives to hypertension risk

A large observational study involving over 112,000 participants has identified a potential link between eight common food preservatives and an increased risk of hypertension and cardiovascular disease.

Published in the European Heart Journal, the research utilized data from the NutriNet-Santé project, which tracked volunteers in France from 2009 to 2024. The study employed detailed 24-hour dietary records to assess exposure to additives. Researchers found that 99.5% of volunteers consumed at least one food preservative during the first two years of the study.

The eight additives specifically associated with a higher risk of high blood pressure include potassium sorbate (E202), potassium metabisulphite (E224), sodium nitrite (E250), ascorbic acid (E300), sodium ascorbate (E301), sodium erythorbate (E316), citric acid (E330), and rosemary extracts (E392).

While the study cannot establish direct causation, researchers from the Université Sorbonne Paris Nord and Université Paris Cité suggest the findings warrant a formal re-evaluation by food safety regulators.