Two French studies: These substances increase the risk of cancer and diabetes.
Consuming certain preservatives found in high concentrations in foods is linked to a slight increase in cancer and diabetes rates, according to two large French studies published on Thursday.
The first study, published in the British Medical Journal, concluded that there are “multiple associations between preservatives widely used in processed foods and beverages in the European market (…) and higher rates of cancer ,” particularly breast and prostate cancer.
Preservatives and an increased risk of cancer
A second study, conducted by the same team from the French National Institute of Health and Medical Research (Inserm) and published in the journal “Nature Communications,” found “associations between a high incidence of type 2 diabetes and increased consumption of a large number of commonly used preservatives .”
While neither study proved a direct causal relationship between these cases and the consumption of the aforementioned preservatives, their rigorous methodology provided important indications in this direction.
The research team, led by epidemiologist Mathilde Touvier, relied on a study involving more than one hundred thousand French people, who were followed for several years through periodic questionnaires about their diet and detailed data about the ingredients of the products they consumed.
The researchers concluded that consuming a large number of preservatives, particularly sorbates, sulfates, and nitrites, is linked to an increased risk of cancer. The strongest link was between sodium nitrite (E250) and prostate cancer, with this preservative increasing the risk by approximately one-third.
Diabetes risks
While this level of risk remains limited on an individual level, on a collective level it represents a large number of additional diseases due to the prevalence of these food additives.
With regard to cancer, the risks associated with preservatives sometimes seem more apparent for diabetics .
For example, regular consumption of potassium sorbate (E2O2) is associated with a twofold increase in the likelihood of developing this disease.
The researchers concluded that these findings warrant the adoption of public health policies that encourage the consumption of products that “use preservatives and unnecessary additives in a limited way,” given the growing evidence of the health risks of ultra-processed foods.