Research Links Certain Food Preservatives To Diabetes And Cancer Risks

Using preservatives to keep food fresh has become a common practice, with most packaged products now containing these additives. Many consumers are unaware of the potential health risks. According to two recent studies from France, certain preservatives may increase the risk of cancer and type 2 diabetes.

The NutriNet-Santé Study, launched in 2009, analyzed the diets and lifestyles of 170,000 participants alongside their medical records from the French national health care system. The cancer-focused research followed 105,000 participants who were cancer-free at the start, examining the effects of 58 preservatives over up to 14 years. The findings, published in The BMJ, compared participants with the highest intake of preservative-laden foods to those with the lowest.

Out of 17 preservatives regularly consumed by at least 10% of participants, 11 showed no link to cancer. However, six, including sodium nitrite, potassium nitrate, sorbates, potassium metabisulfite, acetates, and acetic acid, were associated with cancer risk. Despite this, these substances are still classified as GRAS (generally recognized as safe) by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Researchers noted that natural preservatives, such as antioxidants like vitamins C and E or plant extracts like rosemary, pose a lower cancer risk when consumed in whole foods but can be harmful as additives. Only two antioxidant preservatives, sodium erythorbate and other erythorbates, were linked to cancer.

In a separate study published in Nature Communications, researchers examined the connection between preservatives and type 2 diabetes in 109,000 NutriNet-Santé participants who were diabetes-free at baseline. The study found that heavy consumption of 12 out of 17 commonly used preservatives was associated with nearly a 50% higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Notably, five preservatives previously linked to cancer — potassium sorbate, potassium metabisulfite, sodium nitrite, acetic acid, and sodium acetate — were also associated with increased diabetes risk.