A long-term study from Meduni Vienna shows for the first time a link between dietary salt intake and the risk of stomach cancer in European cancer statistics.
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A long-term study from Meduni Vienna shows for the first time a link between dietary salt intake and the risk of stomach cancer in European cancer statistics.
An analysis published in the journal “Stomach Cancer” showed that those who added salt to their diet were 40 percent more likely to develop stomach cancer than those who did not use salt shakers. The danger to Asian countries has already been proven.
Analysis of UK Biobank data
Data from more than 470,000 adults from the large-scale British cohort study “UK-Biobank” has now been analysed, MedUni Vienna reported in a press release. Among other things, answers to the question: “How often do you add salt to your food?” collected between 2006 and 2010 using a questionnaire.
The research team, led by Selma Kronsteiner-Gicevic and Tilman Kühn from MedUni’s Center for Public Health, compared the results of the study with data on urinary salt excretion and national cancer registries.
Significant increase in risk of stomach cancer due to extra salt
During this, it was found that people who said they always or often added salt to their diet had a 39 percent higher chance of developing stomach cancer during the eleven-year observation period. Salt their food.
“Our results persisted when demographic, socioeconomic, and lifestyle factors were taken into account, and held equally true for a wide range of comorbidities,” said lead author Kronsteiner-Kicevic.
Stomach cancer is on the rise
According to Meduni, stomach cancer is the fifth most common type of cancer worldwide. The risk of this cancer increases with age, but recent statistics paint a worrying picture of an increase in adults under 50. Risk factors include tobacco and alcohol consumption, Helicobacter pylori infection, overweight and obesity.
The fact that very salty foods increase the risk of stomach cancer has been proven in studies with Asian people who often eat foods that are salty, highly salted fish, or highly salty meats and foods preserved in sauces.
Global relevance and health risks of salt consumption
“Our research shows an association between salt intake and stomach cancer, even in Western countries,” Kronsteiner-Kicevic was quoted as saying. “With our study, we want to raise awareness of the negative effects of high salt intake and provide a basis for measures to prevent stomach cancer,” summarized study leader Tilmon Kohn. The World Health Organization (WHO) has also pointed out in the past that too much salt in the diet is unhealthy.
According to WHO, excessive salt intake promotes high blood pressure, heart disease and other diseases. It is recommended not to consume more than two grams of sodium per day. This is equivalent to a teaspoon of salt.