Food additives serve an important role—they keep food safe and stable for longer. However, recent research connects eight common preservatives to high blood pressure.
This study, featured in the European Heart Journal, followed over 112,000 participants in France for several years. Every six months, participants reported their food and drink intake over a three-day period, helping researchers track their preservative consumption along with monitoring their health for any cardiovascular issues, including high blood pressure.
Upon analyzing the data, researchers discovered that those consuming the highest levels of non-antioxidant preservatives—used to inhibit microbial growth—faced a 29% increased risk of being diagnosed with high blood pressure compared to those who consumed the least. Additionally, these individuals had a 16% higher risk of heart attacks and strokes.
On the flip side, participants who ate the most antioxidant preservatives, which prevent spoilage and browning, had a 22% greater chance of developing high blood pressure.
Interestingly, preservatives appeared frequently in participants’ diets. In the initial two years of the study, nearly all (99.5%) participants had at least one preservative in their diet.
While this research doesn’t definitively prove that preservatives lead to high blood pressure, experts suggest that the connection is significant enough to warrant further exploration. Here’s why.
Which food preservatives raise concerns?
The study pointed to eight common food preservatives that could elevate the risk of high blood pressure:
It also highlighted ascorbic acid due to its potential link to cardiovascular disease.
What explains the connection?
Experts think there could be several factors at play. It’s possible that both the preservatives themselves and the foods they’re found in contribute to the higher risk of hypertension. According to Katherine N. Balantekin, an assistant professor in the Department of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences at the University at Buffalo, “These preservatives are often in shelf-stable, ultra-processed foods, which tend to have higher levels of added fats, sugars, and sodium.” These ingredients are already known to raise the risk of high blood pressure and heart disease.
Moreover, certain preservatives may elevate inflammation, increase oxidative stress—an imbalance of molecules that can lead to chronic conditions—impact blood vessel function, or disrupt the gut microbiome, all of which can affect how blood pressure is regulated, according to Scott Keatley, co-owner of Keatley Medical Nutrition Therapy. For instance, nitrites have been linked to oxidative damage in lab studies.
Regular consumption of ultra-processed foods, which frequently include these preservatives, is also connected to a higher risk of type 2 diabetes, a known risk factor for cardiovascular issues, as noted by lead study author Anaïs Hasenböhler.
Ultimately, though, the specifics behind this association remain unclear. Cheng-Han Chen, an interventional cardiologist, points out that it’s likely a combination of several factors.
What constitutes a heart-healthy diet?
Keatley emphasizes that the takeaway isn’t for consumers to memorize the names of additives. Instead, this study strengthens the case for diets focused on minimally processed foods for better cardiovascular health.
To eat in a way that supports heart health, Dr. Chen recommends cutting back on highly processed foods and prioritizing whole foods. “Aim for a variety of fruits and vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins, and reduce saturated fats.” He suggests that those who are particularly concerned about high blood pressure might want to adopt a lower-sodium diet, with the American Heart Association recommending no more than 2,300 milligrams of sodium daily, ideally limiting it to 1,500 milligrams for those with high blood pressure.
Furthermore, he advises including potassium-rich fruits and vegetables, like bananas, oranges, potatoes, leafy greens, beans, and lentils, since potassium can help lower blood pressure.
If you’re shopping for vegetables, Touvier recommends looking for fresh, uncooked, unprocessed items. If convenience is a must, frozen options, preserved through low temperatures rather than chemical additives, might be the next best choice.
