Three New Studies on Food Additives: What the Headlines Got Right, and What They Left Out
- Joyce Knieff, ND, LAc
- 19 hours ago
- 6 min read
Health headlines this month have been heavy on food additives, with colorings linked to type 2 diabetes and cancer, and preservatives linked to hypertension and cardiovascular disease. The headlines are not wrong, and they are based on three solid studies from a respected French research cohort. The story underneath the headlines, though, is more interesting and more useful than "this additive causes that disease."
TL;DR: Three large French studies link food colorings and preservatives to higher rates of diabetes, cancer, and high blood pressure, though they cannot prove the additives themselves are to blame.
Key takeaways:
Observational studies show association, not proof that the additive itself causes disease.
Colorings and preservatives mostly ride along in ultra-processed foods, which carry their own risks.
A compound like curcumin behaves differently as an isolate than in whole turmeric.
Cutting back on ultra-processed foods captures most of the benefit, no E-numbers required.
What the new papers actually found
Three companion studies from the NutriNet-Santé cohort came out this spring. The researchers, led by groups at INSERM, INRAE, and Université Sorbonne Paris Nord, followed over 100,000 French adults for roughly seven to eight years each. Participants tracked their meals using 24-hour dietary records that captured specific brand names, and the team cross-referenced that food log with composition databases to estimate exposure to individual additives.
The first study, published in Diabetes Care, tracked 108,723 participants. People with the highest intake of food coloring additives had a 38% higher rate of new type 2 diabetes diagnoses than people with the lowest intake. Specific colorings showed larger signals: curcumin (E100) was associated with a 49% higher rate, anthocyanins (E163) with a 40% higher rate, and plain caramel (E150a) with a 46% higher rate. Many of those colorings sound natural, and chemically they are. The catch is what they tend to ride along with in real food products.
The second study, in the European Journal of Epidemiology, looked at cancer incidence in 105,260 participants. High intake of food colorings was linked to a 14% higher risk of overall cancer, a 21% higher risk of breast cancer, and a 32% higher risk of postmenopausal breast cancer. After statistical correction for the many additives tested, two colorings stayed significant: plain caramel (E150a) and beta-carotene (E160a).
The third, published in the European Heart Journal, looked at 112,395 participants and preservatives. People with the highest preservative intake had a 24% higher rate of new hypertension diagnoses and a 16% higher rate of cardiovascular disease. Some commonly used preservatives like potassium sorbate (E202) showed larger individual signals.
The bigger picture
These are observational studies, not randomized trials. That distinction changes how to read the results. The researchers can show that people who consume more of these additives also develop these conditions at higher rates, even after adjusting for things like total calories, overall diet quality, smoking, physical activity, body weight, and socioeconomic factors. What they cannot show is that the additive itself caused the disease. The additive could be a marker for something else about the food. Foods high in colorings and preservatives tend to be ultra-processed, calorie-dense, low in fiber, and lower in protective nutrients overall. Untangling the additive from the package it comes in is difficult.
This is also where the curcumin and beta-carotene findings need context. Curcumin in turmeric root, eaten as part of a meal, is not the same exposure as curcumin extracted, concentrated, and added to ultra-processed foods. Beta-carotene in carrots is not the same as beta-carotene in colored snack foods or beverages. The studies are tracking the industrial additive, not the food the compound came from. That nuance gets lost in a headline.
The naturopathic lens
The findings line up with something naturopathic medicine has been saying for a long time. The body did not evolve to process a daily flood of compounds that were never present in human diets until the last hundred years, in concentrations and combinations the food industry chooses for shelf life and visual appeal rather than nutrition. Whether the harm comes from the additive itself, from the broader ultra-processed food environment, or from both is still being worked out. The practical answer is the same.
Where the additive sits in the food matrix is significant, because the surrounding ingredients change how the body processes the chemical. Curcumin as an isolated yellow colorant in a soft drink behaves differently in the body than curcumin in a turmeric latte made with fat and black pepper. Anthocyanins added to a candy behave differently than anthocyanins in blueberries with fiber and polyphenols. The same chemical can be a useful phytonutrient in one context and a metabolic stressor in another. Naturopathic medicine has always taken context seriously, and these studies are a good reminder of why.
How to apply this now
You do not need to memorize E-numbers to act on this research. Three changes carry the lion's share of the benefit:
Lower the share of ultra-processed foods on your plate. The further a food is from how it grew, the more additives it tends to carry along with it. Whole, single-ingredient foods, or foods with short and recognizable ingredient lists, are the simplest filter.
Read the ingredient list, not just the front label. A "naturally colored" product can still contain concentrated extracts. The ingredient list will tell you what is actually in the package.
Keep the herbs and spices on your own kitchen counter. Turmeric in your cooking is a different exposure than turmeric coloring in a processed beverage. The whole-food source is where the protective compounds tend to sit.
Adding good things is at least as useful as removing concerning ones. Plant fiber, fermented foods, and a wider variety of whole foods support the gut microbiome that has to deal with whatever does get through.
Frequently asked questions
Should I throw out everything with these additives in it?
No need to panic-clean your pantry. The studies point at a pattern, not a single villain ingredient, and the most useful move is gradual. Shift the balance of your plate toward whole foods over time rather than chasing down every E-number on a label.
Do I have to memorize E-numbers to eat well?
You don't. The simplest filter is how close a food is to the way it grew. Whole, single-ingredient foods, or foods with short, recognizable ingredient lists, get you most of the way there without a decoder ring for additive codes.
Is turmeric or curcumin bad for me now?
That's the part the headlines flatten. The studies tracked curcumin as an industrial colorant added to processed products, not the turmeric in your spice cabinet. Curcumin in a turmeric latte made with fat and black pepper is a different exposure than curcumin dyeing a soft drink.
Does this mean these additives definitely cause disease?
Not yet. Observational research can show that people who eat more of these additives develop these conditions more often, even after adjusting for diet quality, weight, and lifestyle. What it can't do is prove the additive itself is the cause rather than a marker for the ultra-processed package it comes in.
References
Salmon L. Food Additives: Is New Evidence Raising Safety Questions? Medscape News Europe. June 2, 2026. Original AANP link: https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/food-additives-new-evidence-raising-safety-questions-2026a1000ib2
Shah S, Hasenböhler A, Javaux G, et al. Food Coloring Additives and Incidence of Type 2 Diabetes in the NutriNet-Santé Prospective Cohort. Diabetes Care. 2026;49(6):1067-1077. PMID: 42157365. DOI.
Shah S, Hasenböhler A, Javaux G, et al. Food colouring additives and cancer incidence in the NutriNet-Santé prospective cohort. Eur J Epidemiol. 2026. PMID: 41954817. DOI.
Hasenböhler A, Javaux G, Payen de la Garanderie M, et al. Preservative food additives, hypertension, and cardiovascular diseases: the NutriNet-Santé study. Eur Heart J. 2026. PMID: 42161430. DOI.
Disclaimer
This article is educational and not medical advice. If you live with a diagnosed condition, work with your clinician on dietary changes. Big shifts in diet sometimes warrant adjustments to medications or labs, and your own provider is the right person to navigate that with you.
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Reviewed by Joyce Knieff, ND, LAc on 2026-06-17.
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This post is about the research on additives in ultra-processed foods. If you want the deeper backstory on how these products are engineered and why they are so easy to overeat, this is the physician-written book that kicked off much of the current conversation.
If this resonates with what you're experiencing and you'd like to explore a naturopathic approach, book a consultation with our clinic.
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