8 Common Preservatives Linked to Hypertension and Heart Disease

A study of 112,395 adults followed for 7–8 years found that the highest consumers of common preservatives — including potassium sorbate (E202), sodium nitrite (E250), ascorbic acid (E300), and citric acid (E330) — had up to 29% greater risk of hypertension and 16% higher cardiovascular disease risk.

The paper: Preservative food additives, hypertension, and cardiovascular diseases: the NutriNet-Santé study, European Heart Journal, 2026 (INSERM / Université Sorbonne Paris Nord).

Coverage: ScienceDaily.

Observational — an association in the highest-consuming groups, not proof of cause. We'd tag this CONTESTED. Note it also implicates ascorbic acid — vitamin C — which is a useful reminder of what association studies can and can't tell you.