8 common food preservatives linked to higher risk of high blood pressure and heart disease

This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. ©2026 FOX News Network, LLC. All rights reserved. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. Market data provided by Factset. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. Legal Statement. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by LSEG. New research reveals 72% of packaged foods in the U.S. are ultra-processed, made of cheap ingredients with little nutritional value. Common food preservatives may contribute to higher risks of high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease, according to a large French study. Researchers analyzed data from 112,395 adults averaging 42 years of age, assessing their detailed dietary intake with an average follow-up of nearly eight years. Among the participants, 5,544 developed hypertension during the follow-up period, and 2,450 experienced cardiovascular disease events. 'ADDICTIVE' ULTRA-PROCESSED FOODS LINKED TO SPIKE IN CHRONIC DISEASE, RESEARCHERS WARN Higher consumption of total non-antioxidant preservatives was associated with a 29% greater risk of hypertension and a 16% higher risk of cardiovascular disease. Higher consumption of total antioxidant