June 19, 2026 | Source: Newsweek | by Maria Azzurra Volpe
Most people don’t think twice about the long list of ingredients printed on packaged food. However, new research has raised fresh concerns about the potential impact of everyday food preservatives on heart health.
A study published in the European Heart Journal, tracked the diets of 112,395 people, examining not only what they ate but also the specific additives in their food—and the findings point to a possible connection between regular consumption of certain preservatives and conditions such as hypertension, heart attack, stroke and angina.
Dr. Gultekin Faik Hobikoglu, professor of cardiology at Medicana Health Group, told Newsweek that while research into preservatives is still developing, people who consume large amounts of processed foods “tend to suffer from higher blood pressure… and heart disease,” though he stressed this is often linked to broader dietary patterns rather than additives alone.
