Food Preservatives May Be Linked to Cancer and Type 2 Diabetes

According to CNN, two new French studies suggest that some common preservatives could come with real risks for our health. The research drew on the NutriNet Sante cohort, which has tracked diet and medical outcomes in France since 2009. Researchers matched detailed, brand specific food records with national health data. The authors stress the results need confirmation, but they still raise big questions for regulators.

One study, published in The BMJ, followed about 105,000 people for up to 14 years. Most preservatives showed no clear link to cancer. Still, the team found associations for several additives that the United States lists as generally recognized as safe. Sodium nitrite, a curing agent used in processed meats, tracked with a 32% higher risk of prostate cancer. Potassium nitrate tracked with a 22% higher risk of breast cancer and a 13% increase in overall cancer risk.

A second study, published in Nature Communications, looked at nearly 109,000 people without type 2 diabetes at the start. People with the highest intake of certain preservatives had about a 50% higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Several additives overlapped with the cancer results, including sodium nitrite, potassium sorbate, potassium metabisulfite, acetic acid, and sodium acetates. Calcium propionate also showed an association.

These are observational results, so they cannot prove cause and effect. However, they land in the same place many diet experts already point to: choose fresh, whole foods more often, especially plants. That shift can protect your body, the environment, and it can reduce demand for industrial food systems that harm animals.

Try one simple swap: build dinner around beans, grains, and vegetables, then reach for plant based options when you shop. Support policies that make vegan food affordable and easy to find.

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