常见食品防腐剂与英国年轻人自杀死亡率上升相关联

英国研究人员发现，常见食品防腐剂亚硝酸钠与自杀死亡人数上升存在关联，特别是在年轻人和男性群体中。12019年3月至2024年8月期间，研究团队分析了164例经验证的亚硝酸钠中毒案例，其中71%涉及年轻一代，包括Z世代占33%、千禧一代占38%。1在这些案例中，87%的患者血液中亚硝酸钠浓度比正常生理水平高100倍，表明摄入是有意的。1

在性别分布上，男性案例109例，女性52例，受害者平均年龄为28岁，年龄范围跨越14至82岁，其中4%的案例涉及18岁以下未成年人。1由BMJ Group发表于《BMJ Public Health》的这项研究提出了多项防控建议。1领导研究的Amrita Ahluwalia教授表示，"这表明迫切需要采取措施规范获取这种化学物质，并减少关于它的网络有害信息的传播"。1研究团队建议采取措施限制亚硝酸钠的获取渠道、加强对网络有害信息的监管，并在救护车上配备甲基硫醇氯化物解毒剂套件。1

British researchers have identified a connection between sodium nitrite, a widely used food preservative, and increasing suicide deaths in the United Kingdom, with particularly elevated rates among young people and men 1. An analysis of 164 verified cases of sodium nitrite poisoning between March 2019 and August 2024 found that 71% involved younger generations, comprising 33% Generation Z and 38% millennials, while males accounted for 109 cases compared to 52 female cases 1. The average age of those studied was 28 years, with cases ranging from ages 14 to 82, and minors under 18 representing 4% of the total 1.

The research, published by the BMJ Group in BMJ Public Health in 2026, revealed particularly alarming toxicological findings: in 87% of cases, blood sodium nitrite concentrations were approximately 100 times higher than normal physiological levels, indicating intentional consumption 1. Professor Amrita Ahluwalia, leading the research team, stated that "this demonstrates an urgent need for measures to regulate access to this chemical and reduce the spread of harmful online information about it" 1. The study calls for multiple interventions, including restricting access to the chemical, regulating harmful online content, and equipping ambulances with antidote kits 1.