Preservative Food Additives Linked to Higher CVD Risks

A French prospective cohort study found that higher exposure to preservative food additives commonly used in industrial foods was associated with increased risks of high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease (CVD). Researchers analyzed data from 112,395 adults in the NutriNet-Santé cohort with a median follow-up of 7.9 years, using repeated 24-hour dietary records and detailed additive exposure assessments. Higher consumption of total non-antioxidant preservatives was associated with a 29% higher risk of high blood pressure and a 16% higher risk of CVD, while antioxidant preservatives were also linked to a higher risk of high blood pressure. Among 17 individual preservatives consumed by at least 10% of the study population, eight were associated with high blood pressure and one with CVD after correction for multiple testing. The findings suggest that preservative additives widely used in processed foods may contribute to adverse cardiovascular outcomes, highlighting the need for further mechanistic studies and possible re-evaluation of food additive regulations to improve consumer protection. Source: https://academic.oup.com/eurheartj/