What Causes Stomach Cancer?
Although stomach cancer is one of the most commonly contracted types of the disease around the world, the number of people with stomach cancer in the United States and the United Kingdom is slowly decreasing.
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Researchers believe that fewer people in the West are developing stomach cancer because the populations in these countries are more aware of the causes, including tobacco, alcohol, unrefrigerated meats, and food-borne bacteria, and are consuming less of these dangerous products.
Researchers Still Have Questions Regarding the Causes of Stomach Cancer
Medical professionals have a general understanding of what kind of diet, lifestyle, and genetic predispositions lead to stomach cancer.
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However, there are still many examples of healthy, active patients who don’t have a family history of cancer developing the disease. Consequently, a group of researchers at the University of Vienna held a hypothesis that a specific and widely used condiment may be causing stomach cancer. In 2023, they proved their theory correct.
A Study in Vienna Proved a Direct Correlation Between Stomach Cancer and Salt
A study conducted at the University of Vienna in Austria followed 471,144 subjects from the United Kingdom, specifically noting the amount of salt they added to their food.
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After 10.9 years, they found that 640 of the subjects had developed stomach or gastric cancer, and they reported that those who “‘always added salt to food’ at [the] table [were] associated with a higher gastric cancer risk in a large sample of UK adults.”
People Who Added Salt to Most of Their Meals Were 41% More Likely to Develop Stomach Cancer
The study explained that, within their nearly half a million subjects, those who added salt to most or all of their meals were 41% more likely to develop stomach cancer than those who only used the condiment sparingly.
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The researchers, led by Dr. Selma Kronsteiner-Gicevic, also noted that this finding remained true even when researchers eliminated the other variables like alcohol and tobacco use, lifestyle, and socioeconomic status.
The Austrian Researchers Weren’t the First to Find Salt Is Directly Linked to Stomach Cancer
This study is certainly groundbreaking, as it was the first of its kind to be performed in the West. However, several studies in China, Japan, and South Korea have already proven that a high-salt diet is associated with stomach cancer in Asian subjects.
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As Dr. Kronsteiner-Gicevic explained, “Our research shows the connection between the frequency of added salt and stomach cancer in Western countries, too.”
Is Adding Salt to Your Food Dangerous?
It’s important to understand that your body needs a small amount of sodium to function properly; however, most people do use too much salt.
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Most often, the problem is not the few shakes of salt a person adds to their food. It’s the fact that the processed foods they are consuming already have more sodium than the recommended daily intake.
Most Processed Foods Already Contain More Than the FDA-Recommended Salt Intake
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recommends that people consume no more than 2,300 milligrams (2.3 grams) of salt per day. But, the problem is that many foods contain several grams of sodium.
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For example, a can of Campbell’s soup typically contains around 800 milligrams of salt, which is almost half the recommended daily intake. A Big Mac from McDonald’s contains a whopping 1,000 milligrams, and a medium-sized order of fries has 657 milligrams.
Eating Prepared Foods Will Increase Your Salt Intake
Of course, these two examples are considered some of the highest-sodium products available. However, it’s important to understand that almost everything we consume, whether it’s a bag of chips, a Coca-Cola, or a sandwich from the local deli, everything has salt in it.
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Therefore, putting extra salt on these foods or even the non-salted foods we prepare at home can be extremely detrimental to the body and, yes, cause stomach cancer.
Too Much Salt Irritates the Stomach Lining
The reason why salt can directly lead to stomach cancer is because, once ingested, the condiment damages the stomach lining and causes lesions, which often develop into cancerous cells.
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A study conducted in China showed that excess salt “irritates the stomach wall and strongly enhances and promotes chemical gastric carcinogenesis (stomach cancer.)”
Stomach Cancer Is Often Left Untreated
One of the most prevalent dangers of stomach cancer is that it is often left untreated. Because the symptoms include indigestion, bloating, and an upset stomach, most people simply assume they’ve eaten something that didn’t agree with them and don’t reach out for medical attention.
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While the survival rate for someone with stomach cancer can be as high as 70%, their chances of eradicating the disease significantly decrease if the cancer is left untreated and spreads throughout the body.
Raising Awareness to Prevent Stomach Cancer
The importance of this and other studies like it should not be underestimated. If people are unaware of the added salt in most of their food and are, therefore, consuming far more sodium than the body needs on a daily basis, they are certainly at risk of developing stomach cancer.
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If people know this information, check food labels for sodium, and monitor their salt intake, there will likely be far fewer cases of stomach cancer in the West and around the world.