Health
Study links common food preservatives to higher risk of hypertension, heart disease
A new French study has linked several common food preservatives used in store-bought foods to an increased risk of high blood pressure and cardiovascular diseases, raising fresh concerns about the health effects of additives commonly found in processed and ultra-processed foods.
The study, published in the European Heart Journal, found that people who consumed higher amounts of certain preservatives were more likely to develop hypertension, heart attacks and stroke over time.
Researchers analysed data from more than 112,000 participants enrolled in the NutriNet-Santé cohort, an ongoing French nutrition and health study that has tracked dietary habits since 2009.
Burden of heart disease in Nigeria
The findings come as Nigeria continues to face a growing burden of non-communicable diseases, particularly cardiovascular conditions such as hypertension, stroke and heart disease.
Hypertension, commonly known as high blood pressure, occurs when the force of blood pushing against the walls of blood vessels remains consistently too high. Over time, the condition can damage blood vessels and increase the risk of stroke, heart failure and kidney disease.
A stroke occurs when blood supply to part of the brain is blocked or when a blood vessel in the brain bursts, potentially causing paralysis, speech problems or death.
Heart attacks happen when blood flow to part of the heart becomes blocked, preventing oxygen from reaching heart muscles.
According to a report by PREMIUM TIMES, health experts and existing reports, hypertension remains one of the most common non-communicable diseases in Nigeria, with many cases undiagnosed until complications develop.
Preservatives linked to cardiovascular risk
According to the findings, preservatives used to prevent spoilage caused by bacteria, mould and yeast were associated with significantly higher cardiovascular risks.
The study reported that higher consumption of these preservatives was linked to a 29 per cent greater risk of elevated blood pressure and a 16 per cent increased risk of heart attacks and stroke.
Researchers identified three “non-antioxidant” preservatives strongly associated with hypertension. These include potassium sorbate, potassium metabisulphite and sodium nitrite.
Potassium sorbate is commonly used in baked goods, cheeses, sauces and wine, while potassium metabisulphite is often found in wine, juice, cider and beer.
Sodium nitrite is widely used in processed meats such as bacon, ham and deli meats.
The study also found that several antioxidant preservatives, often described as “natural”, were associated with increased cardiovascular risk.
These include ascorbic acid, sodium ascorbate, sodium erythorbate, citric acid and rosemary extracts, which are commonly used to prevent foods from turning brown or rancid.
Higher intake of these antioxidant preservatives was associated with a 22 per cent greater risk of high blood pressure.
Ascorbic acid, also known as vitamin C, was specifically linked to cardiovascular disease in the study.
Researchers noted that although ascorbic acid and citric acid naturally occur in fruits and vegetables, additives used in processed foods may not have the same health effects as naturally occurring compounds.
Ultra-processed foods under scrutiny
The findings add to growing evidence linking ultra-processed foods to poor health outcomes.
Researchers noted that preservatives are not limited to ultra-processed foods alone, as earlier findings showed that only about 35 per cent of preservative intake came from ultra-processed products.
Still, the study highlighted the widespread presence of preservatives across many commonly consumed foods and reinforced recommendations encouraging people to consume more fresh and minimally processed foods.
Researchers advised consumers to prioritise fresh, uncooked and minimally processed foods where possible.
Frozen foods preserved through low temperatures rather than additives were also identified as preferable alternatives.
Long-term dietary tracking
To conduct the research, participants recorded all foods and drinks consumed over three days every six months, including brand names.
Researchers then matched these records with ingredient databases to estimate preservative exposure over several years.
Medical records from the French national healthcare system were used to track diagnoses of hypertension and cardiovascular disease over the study period.
The researchers examined 58 preservatives in total and conducted detailed analysis on 17 additives consumed by at least 10 per cent of participants. Eight of those preservatives were associated with increased hypertension risk over the following decade.
READ ALSO: WHO, EU launch health support project as Nigeria battles multiple disease outbreaks
Links to cancer, diabetes
The study builds on previous research linking similar preservatives to increased risks of cancer and type 2 diabetes.
Earlier findings identified preservatives such as sodium nitrite, potassium nitrate, sorbates, potassium metabisulphite, acetates and acetic acid as being associated with higher risks of prostate cancer, breast cancer and other cancers.
Several of the same preservatives were also previously linked to a significantly increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
Although the researchers noted that the findings do not establish direct cause and effect, they said the results highlight the need for further investigation into the long-term health effects of food additives and preservatives.
The National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) says about 93 per cent of children affected by recent diphtheria outbreaks in Nigeria had not received the full recommended vaccine doses.
The agency’s Executive Director, Muyi Aina, disclosed this on Thursday during its quarterly media briefing in Abuja.
Mr Aina said an analysis of cases recorded during the outbreaks showed that most affected children were either unvaccinated or had received fewer than the three recommended doses.
“We looked at data from all the cases that we have had, and in the different outbreaks that are happening, over 90 per cent, I think 93 per cent of the children had not received the full complement of vaccines that they should receive,” he said.
He said some affected children had either received no vaccine or only one of the three recommended doses.
Mr Aina attributed the situation partly to misinformation and false rumours affecting vaccine uptake in some communities.
“The vaccines are available. We have advocated, and we have interventions to get communities to access these vaccines,” he said.
“But when people allow misinformation and false rumours to influence their behaviour, they don’t access the vaccines.”
Mr Aina said reducing vaccine-preventable diseases remained a critical priority of the agency’s immunisation programme.
Other vaccination programmes
Mr Aina said more than 18.3 million girls had received the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine, and efforts are ongoing to expand coverage among eligible girls.
“For the human papillomavirus vaccine, over 18.3 million of our girls have now been vaccinated,” he said.
He added that the measles-rubella vaccine had reached more than 102 million children aged nine months to 14 years.
According to him, 882,000 children in Kebbi, Bayelsa, Ondo and Bauchi states had received at least the first dose of the malaria vaccine.
Mr Aina said the agency was also recording gradual improvement in routine immunisation coverage and reducing the number of zero-dose children through targeted interventions.
READ ALSO: NPHCDA records 45 million quarterly PHC visits, links 773,000 pregnant women to care
“We are reducing our number of zero-dose children through several interventions, including the identification, enumeration and vaccination of children, and through targeted interventions to reach underserved communities,” he said.
He urged caregivers, community leaders and teachers to support vaccination efforts to protect children against preventable diseases.
“I think this should be a wake-up call for all of us who are caregivers, for those of us that are community leaders and teachers, that we need to again focus on making sure that we get all of the vaccines that we need,” Mr Aina said.
He added that efforts are underway to expand the Basic Health Care Provision Fund to more facilities, increasing coverage from 8,300 to 15,000.
(NAN)
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Malnutrition admissions at 10 health facilities supported by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in north-eastern Nigeria rose 18 per cent in the first nine months of 2026.
The facilities recorded nearly 20,000 admissions between January and September, up from about 17,000 in the same period of 2025, the ICRC said in a statement on Thursday.
The figures cover six health centres and four hospitals. Young children, pregnant women and breastfeeding mothers were among those most affected.
Mubi in Adamawa State saw the sharpest rise, from about 4,600 admissions in the first nine months of 2025 to approximately 5,700 this year, an increase of nearly 24 per cent.
The latest numbers follow earlier ICRC warnings about rising demand for nutritional treatment in conflict-affected areas.
In October 2024, the organisation reported a 24 per cent increase in severe acute malnutrition admissions between the third quarters of 2023 and 2024, from 6,824 to 8,470.
Admissions of children under five with severe acute malnutrition and medical complications also rose from 1,212 to 1,691 in the same period.
These figures cover different reporting periods and patient categories and cannot establish a continuous three-year trend.
They do, however, show repeated increases in demand for nutritional treatment.
Mothers struggle
At the Mubi Stabilisation Centre, Zulaihatu Mohammed brought her six-month-old daughter, Huseina, one of her twins, for nutritional support.
“When I gave birth to them, this one was tiny,” she told the ICRC. “I came today for the routine collection of children’s food. She is not feeling well. Since I gave birth to her, she has been unwell.”
Armed violence, climate shocks and economic pressures have disrupted livelihoods and limited access to food.
According to the ICRC’s video report, farmer Saminu Ijaduwa cultivates a small plot near his home because explosive devices have made more distant fields dangerous.
“Due to the conflict, going one kilometre out of town to farm could be highly risky. You might not return!” he said in the ICRC report.
Restrictions on farming and disrupted markets have made it harder for families to produce or buy enough food, particularly affecting young children and pregnant and breastfeeding women.
Humanitarian response
In a March 2026 report, the ICRC said more than 36,000 people received treatment for severe acute malnutrition at its supported facilities in Borno, Adamawa and Yobe states during 2025.
The total included more than 16,000 children under five and more than 19,000 pregnant and breastfeeding women.
The organisation also provided cash assistance to more than 17,000 vulnerable families during the 2025 lean season.
Those annual treatment figures are not directly comparable with the new nine-month admission totals.
The ICRC said it is working with the Nigerian Red Cross Society to support 15 primary healthcare centres and four hospitals and to assist more than 200 communities with malnutrition treatment and food-security programmes.
Interventions include supplying farmers with seeds adapted to drought and flooding, promoting crop diversification and teaching mothers to prepare nutritious meals from local ingredients.
One such mixture of sorghum, millet, soybeans, groundnuts and moringa, known as Tom Brown, has helped more than 13,000 young children recover from moderate acute malnutrition, according to the ICRC. Mothers are also taught how to prepare it at home.
READ ALSO: Over 87,000 children treated for malnutrition in Katsina in eight months – MSF
Wider food insecurity
The rise in admissions comes as the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) and the World Food Programme (WFP) identify Nigeria among the world’s hunger hotspots of highest concern in their June to November 2026 outlook.
Citing United Nations analysis, the ICRC said more than 34 million people in Nigeria were expected to face insufficient access to food in 2026, the highest figure in six years.
In the North-east, prolonged conflict continues to restrict access to farmland and undermine household livelihoods, according to the ICRC.
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