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People who regularly consume salt in their food may be at higher risk of developing stomach cancer, according to a new study.
Researchers at the Medical University of Vienna analyzed health data from 471,144 British adults and found that those who said they regularly added salt to their food were more likely to leave it without a salt shaker. They found that they were 41% more likely to develop stomach cancer.
The survey results are stomach cancer.
(Probably not) Eat with a pinch of salt.
In Western countries such as the UK and the US, stomach cancer (stomach cancer) accounts for approximately 2% of all new cancer cases.Older age, male gender, regular smoking and drinking, and previous bacterial infections are risk factors Helicobacter pylori.
In Asia, where the disease is more prevalent than in the West, several studies have linked a diet of salty foods (such as salted fish and pickles) to an increased risk of developing cancer.
To see if a similar correlation was observed in Western populations, researchers looked at data from 471,144 participants in the UK Biobank. During a mean follow-up period of 10.9 years between data entries, 640 gastric cancer cases were recorded within the group.
As part of the dietary survey, all participants answered the question, “Do you add salt to your food?” (Do not include salt used in cooking). After adjusting the data to account for other dietary factors, the researchers found that participants who answered “always” to this question were more likely to develop stomach cancer than those who answered “never/rarely.” They found that they were 41% more likely.
The researchers say this finding shows that the association between salt and stomach cancer seen in Asians is also seen in Western countries.
“Our study shows that even in Western countries there is an association between the frequency of salt addition and stomach cancer,” said Selma Kronsteiner-Gicevic, a postdoctoral researcher at the Medical University of Vienna and lead author of the paper.
“Our results also held up to consideration of demographic, socio-economic and lifestyle factors, and were equally valid for common comorbidities,” she added.
However, Kronsteiner-Gicevic and colleagues acknowledge that the link between added salt and stomach cancer is only observed in the data and not biochemically proven.
And although participants' body mass index (BMI) was taken into account, the researchers noted that the number of cases in this study was “sufficient to assess the influence of potential modifiers such as gender, age, and ethnicity.” “It wasn't,” he admits. Helicobacter pylori Infectious diseases and smoking status. ”
Nevertheless, the researchers say their findings raise the alarm about the risk of stomach cancer from salt. They say further studies in Western populations, particularly those based on repeated 24-hour urine sodium measurements, will be needed to further examine this association.
“With our study, we hope to raise awareness about the negative effects of extremely high salt intake and provide the basis for measures to prevent stomach cancer,” said Tilman Kuehn, professor of public health nutrition and study leader. He summarized.
reference: Kronsteiner-Gicevic S, Thompson AS, Gaggl M, et al.. Adding salt to the diet as an indicator of gastric cancer risk in adults: a prospective study. stomach. Can. 2024.doi: 10.1007/s10120-024-01502-9
This article is a re-edited version of the press release below. Medical University of Vienna. Material has been edited for length and content.
