Study Links Preservatives to High Blood Pressure and Heart Disease Risk
Scanning food labels in supermarkets, common additives like potassium sorbate, citric acid, and vitamin C can be found in many processed foods. While these substances prevent spoilage, a new study reveals their potential connection to cardiovascular health.
Preservative Impact Analyzed
Researchers analyzed data from the NutriNet-Santé cohort study, following 112,395 individuals for an average of 7.9 years. The study investigated the association between dietary preservative intake and the risk of hypertension and cardiovascular disease.
Preservative Categories and Risk
The study categorized preservatives into two groups: non-antioxidant preservatives, which inhibit microbial growth, and antioxidant preservatives, which prevent oxidation. Results showed that both categories were associated with increased risk of hypertension and cardiovascular disease.
Specific Preservative Associations
Among the 17 most commonly consumed preservatives, eight were linked to higher risk of hypertension: potassium sorbate, potassium metabisulfite, sodium nitrite, ascorbic acid, sodium ascorbate, sodium erythorbate, citric acid, and rosemary extract. Ascorbic acid was also associated with increased cardiovascular disease risk.
During the study period, 5,544 cases of hypertension and 2,450 cases of cardiovascular disease were recorded.
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