Eight common food preservatives linked to higher blood pressure and heart disease risk

September 20, 2026 at 05:59 PM2 min

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A study of 112,395 French adults found that higher intake of eight common food preservatives was associated with a 29% higher risk of hypertension and a 16% higher risk of cardiovascular disease. The research, published in the European Heart Journal, was led by Dr. Mathilde Touvier of INSERM and Anaïs Hasenböhler of Université Sorbonne Paris Nord. Preservative exposure was nearly universal, with 99.5% of participants consuming at least one preservative during the first two years.

Key Facts

The study included 112,395 volunteers from the NutriNet-Santé cohort in France.
Participants with the highest intake of non-antioxidant preservatives had a 29% higher risk of hypertension and a 16% higher risk of cardiovascular disease compared with the lowest intake group.
Those with the highest intake of antioxidant preservatives had a 22% higher risk of hypertension.
During the first two years of participation, 99.5% of volunteers consumed at least one food preservative.
The findings were published in the European Heart Journal and led by researchers from INSERM and Université Sorbonne Paris Nord.

Study Design

The analysis drew on the NutriNet-Santé cohort, an ongoing French research project examining links between nutrition and health. Every six months, participants recorded all food and drink consumed over a three-day period, providing detailed dietary data. Researchers then identified the preservatives present in those foods and beverages. Participants were followed for an average of seven to eight years to track incident hypertension and cardiovascular events such as heart attack, stroke, and angina.

Risk Associations

The strongest associations were observed among people consuming the largest amounts of certain preservatives. High intake of non-antioxidant preservatives was linked to a 29% higher risk of hypertension and a 16% higher risk of cardiovascular disease. High intake of antioxidant preservatives was associated with a 22% higher risk of hypertension. The two categories of preservatives protect food through different mechanisms.