Food Preservatives Linked to 29% Higher Hypertension Risk: Large-Scale Study

A large-scale cohort study conducted by a research team in France has confirmed a statistically significant association between commonly consumed food preservatives and the risk of hypertension and cardiovascular diseases. Eight types of preservatives, including potassium sorbate and ascorbic acid (vitamin C), which frequently appear on processed food labels, were found to be associated with an increased risk of hypertension.

Background of the Study

Food preservatives are widely used in industrially produced processed foods to inhibit microbial growth and maintain food quality. According to Open Food Facts, the world’s largest public food database, over 20% of registered processed foods and beverages contain at least one type of preservative.

In light of this, researchers from Sorbonne Paris Nord University and Paris University analyzed data from the large-scale NutriNet-Santé cohort study. They tracked 112,395 participants for a median period of 7.9 years, investigating the relationship between dietary preservative intake and the risk of hypertension and cardiovascular diseases.

Dr. Anaïs Hasenböhler, the lead researcher, stated in the press release, “Experimental studies have suggested that certain preservatives might negatively affect cardiovascular health, but sufficient evidence from human studies was lacking. To our knowledge, this is the first study to investigate the relationship between multiple preservatives and cardiovascular health.”

The Large-Scale NutriNet-Santé Cohort

NutriNet-Santé is a prospective cohort study conducted across France that collects detailed dietary data from participants. In this study, preservative intake was estimated using dietary frequency questionnaires and 24-hour dietary recall methods. Confounding factors such as age, gender, BMI, smoking, physical activity, and socioeconomic status were statistically adjusted to analyze the risk of hypertension and cardiovascular diseases.

The preservatives analyzed were grouped into two categories:

• Non-antioxidant preservatives: Potassium sorbate, nitrites, sulfites, etc., which suppress mold and bacterial growth.
• Antioxidant preservatives: Ascorbic acid, citric acid, sodium erythorbate, etc., which prevent oxidation and discoloration.

During the first two years of the study, it was found that 99.5% of participants had consumed at least one type of preservative. The data highlighted the pervasive exposure to preservatives through processed foods across the population.

Eight High-Risk Preservatives

The analysis revealed that participants with the highest intake of non-antioxidant preservatives had a 29% higher risk of developing hypertension compared to those with the lowest intake. Additionally, the risk of overall cardiovascular diseases, including myocardial infarction, stroke, and angina, increased by 16%. High intake of antioxidant preservatives also led to a 22% increase in the risk of hypertension.

Researchers analyzed 17 commonly consumed preservatives individually and identified eight that were statistically associated with increased hypertension risk:

• Potassium sorbate (E202)
• Potassium metabisulfite (E224)
• Sodium nitrite (E250)
• Ascorbic acid (E300)
• Sodium ascorbate (E301)
• Sodium erythorbate (E316)
• Citric acid (E330)
• Rosemary extract (E392)

Among these, ascorbic acid was also linked to an increased risk of cardiovascular diseases. Although ascorbic acid is widely known for its health benefits as vitamin C, the study suggests that high doses in its preservative form may warrant caution.

During the follow-up period, 5,544 new cases of hypertension and 2,450 cases of cardiovascular diseases (including 1,142 cerebrovascular cases and 1,308 coronary artery cases) were recorded.

Significance and Limitations

This study is significant as it comprehensively examines the relationship between multiple preservatives commonly found in processed foods and cardiovascular disease risks in a large human cohort. While previous experimental studies have indicated the impact of individual preservatives on biological systems, this study evaluates the combined exposure to multiple preservatives in real-world dietary patterns.

However, as an observational study, it does not provide direct evidence of causality. The consumption of preservative-rich processed foods may also correlate with the intake of other unhealthy nutrients such as high salt, fat, and sugar. While the research team adjusted for confounding factors, it is impossible to entirely eliminate the influence of unmeasured confounders.

Additionally, the study relies on self-reported dietary data, which introduces the possibility of errors in estimating actual preservative intake. Future research should focus on experimental intervention studies and more precise exposure assessment methods for validation.

Editorial Opinion

In the short term, the findings of this study are likely to influence food safety regulatory agencies and the processed food industry. The indication of risks associated even with additives like ascorbic acid and citric acid, which are widely perceived as “healthy,” could prompt a reassessment of consumer information practices. Food companies may be compelled to revise product formulations or develop alternative preservatives.

In the long term, the importance of big data analysis in nutritional epidemiology is expected to grow. The collaboration between large cohort studies and detailed food databases enables more accurate evaluations of the health impacts of food additives. Furthermore, stricter regulations based on these findings may lead to changes in production costs and shelf-life of processed foods.

The editorial team believes that it is crucial to interpret causality with caution. Confounding factors pose limitations to observational studies, and further investigation is needed to assess the absolute public health impact of the relative risk increases observed. Research into the consumption patterns and health effects of these preservatives within the Japanese diet is also necessary.

References

• Food Preservatives May Increase the Risk of High Blood Pressure and Cardiovascular Disease | WIRED — Published on July 4, 2026