on June 25, 2026
In recent years, scientific research has begun to shift its focus from the mere quantity of calories consumed to a more complex question: what happens to the body when an increasing proportion of the diet consists of industrially processed foods containing numerous additives?
Food additives include a wide range of substances used to improve the preservation, color, texture, stability, flavor, and appearance of products. Colorings, preservatives, emulsifiers, acidifiers, and stabilizers have contributed to the development of the modern food industry by extending shelf life and standardizing food products.
For decades, the safety of additives has been assessed primarily by considering each substance individually and at doses considered safe. However, in real life, consumers are exposed daily to mixtures of additives through the repeated consumption of ultra-processed foods.
This difference between real-world and theoretical exposure is becoming one of the central themes of modern nutritional epidemiology.
French studies that have reopened the debate
A series of French prospective studies conducted within the NutriNet-Santé cohort, which follows over 100,000 adults over time and collects detailed data on diet, assessed the association between food additive consumption and the development of chronic diseases.
The results showed that individuals with higher exposure to food colorings had:
a 38% increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes;
a 14% increased risk of overall cancer;
a 21% increased risk of breast cancer;
a 32% increased risk of postmenopausal breast cancer.
Regarding preservatives, high exposure was associated with:
an increased risk of hypertension;
an increased cardiovascular risk;
a higher incidence of type 2 diabetes in certain exposure categories.
It is important to emphasize that these data describe statistical associations and do not demonstrate a direct cause-and-effect relationship.
Why might additives affect metabolism?
There are now numerous biological hypotheses being studied.
Alteration of the gut microbiota
One of the most studied mechanisms concerns the effect of additives on the gut ecosystem.
The microbiota performs essential functions:
energy metabolism;
immune regulation;
production of protective metabolites;
maintenance of the intestinal barrier.
Some experimental studies suggest that chronic exposure to certain additives may alter the composition and function of the microbiota, promoting a state of dysbiosis.
Low-grade chronic inflammation
Many chronic diseases share a common denominator: persistent inflammatory activation.
Chronic metabolic inflammation has been linked to the development of:
obesity;
insulin resistance;
type 2 diabetes;
atherosclerosis;
accelerated aging.
Some additives have been studied for their possible involvement in activating cellular inflammatory signals and modulating oxidative stress.
Oxidative stress and cellular damage
The excessive production of reactive oxygen species can alter:
proteins;
lipids;
DNA.
This process is involved in the pathophysiology of numerous chronic diseases.
Several experimental models have observed pro-oxidant effects or alterations in mitochondrial function following prolonged exposure to certain categories of additives, although evidence in humans remains under investigation.
A surprising fact: not everything that is “natural” is automatically neutral
One of the most discussed aspects of the French studies concerns the fact that some associations also emerged for colorings classified as natural or derived from substances naturally present in foods.
Examples reported include:
beta-carotene as a food additive (E160a);
anthocyanins (E163);
caramel colorings (E150).
This does not mean that consuming foods naturally rich in these substances is harmful.
It is essential to distinguish:
consumption of whole foods;
industrial use of the isolated, processed additive incorporated into ultra-processed food matrices.
The biological behavior of a molecule can change depending on the food context.
The problem may be the cumulative effect
An emerging concept is that of the “exposure mixture.”
In daily life, we rarely consume a single additive.
Much more frequently, we consume products containing:
colorings;
preservatives;
emulsifiers;
sweeteners;
flavorings.
These multiple exposures could generate biological effects different from those of a single substance assessed in isolation.
How to reduce exposure without developing a fear of food
The goal is not to eliminate every industrial food.
The goal is to reduce chronic and habitual exposure.
The strategies most supported by evidence include:
prioritizing fresh or minimally processed foods;
reading the ingredients list in addition to the nutritional table;
preferring foods with a short ingredient list;
increasing consumption of legumes, whole grains, fruit, and vegetables;
limiting the habitual consumption of packaged snacks, sugary drinks, industrial sweets, and ready meals.
Nutritional risk does not stem from a single occasional food.
What matters most is the dietary pattern built day after day.
Modern preventive nutrition does not focus solely on what we add to our diet.
More and more often, it also questions what would be useful to avoid.
Bibliography
Touvier M et al. Food colourings and preservatives: associations with cancer, cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes – NutriNet-Santé cohort. Inserm / Diabetes Care / European Journal of Epidemiology / European Heart Journal, 2026.
Payen de la Garanderie M et al. Food additive mixtures and risk of type 2 diabetes. PLOS Medicine, 2025.
Inserm–INRAE. Preservative additives and incidence of type 2 diabetes. 2026.
Inserm. Food additive emulsifiers and risk of type 2 diabetes. 2024.
