High blood pressure, heart attacks linked to common preservatives in food

Key Points:

• A French study linked common food preservatives to increased cardiovascular risks, finding a 29% higher risk of elevated blood pressure and a 16% greater risk of heart attacks and stroke among consumers of these additives.
• Even "natural" antioxidant preservatives like citric acid and ascorbic acid (vitamin C), when used as additives, were associated with a 22% increased risk of high blood pressure, highlighting differences between naturally occurring and added forms.
• The research analyzed 58 preservatives in over 112,000 participants, identifying eight preservatives—including potassium sorbate, potassium metabisulphite, sodium nitrite, and several antioxidants—associated with higher blood pressure over a decade.
• These findings complement prior studies linking certain preservatives to increased risks of cancer and type 2 diabetes, suggesting that preservatives in ultraprocessed foods contribute to health risks beyond sugar, salt, and fat content.
• While preservatives play an important role in food safety and shelf life, experts recommend favoring fresh, minimally processed foods or frozen options preserved without additives to reduce potential health risks.