Frequently adding salt to your meal increases your risk of stomach cancer

Anyone who frequently adds salt to their food is at greater risk of developing stomach cancer. A long-term study conducted by the Austrian MedUni University has shown for the first time that this risk is also reflected in European cancer statistics.

As the analysis recently published in the journal Stomach Cancer shows, people who frequently add salt to their food are 39 percent more likely to develop stomach cancer than those who do not use salt at the table. The relationship between salt consumption and stomach cancer has already been proven in Asian countries.

Data from more than 470,000 adults from the large UK-Biobank cohort study have now been analysed, MedUni Vienna said in a statement.

Among other things, answers to the question: “How often do you add salt to your meal?” It was collected between 2006 and 2010 using a questionnaire. The research team led by Selma Kronsteiner-Jesevic and Tilman Cohen of the MedUni Center for Public Health compared the scan results with urinary salt excretion and with data from national cancer registries.

Basis of measures

“Our research shows the relationship between frequent salt intake and stomach cancer, even in Western countries,” Kronsteiner Gesiewicz was quoted as saying. “With our study, we want to raise awareness of the negative effects of very high salt consumption and provide a basis for gastric cancer prevention measures,” summarized study leader Tilman Kuhn.

“Our results also held up when demographic, socioeconomic, and lifestyle factors were taken into account, and were also applied to prevalent comorbidities,” says lead author Kronsteiner Gesiewicz. (SDA/APA)