Extra salt intake linked to higher stomach cancer risk, study finds

The most popular seasoning in the world is responsible for a significant portion of stomach cancer cases – researchers from the Medical University of Vienna have found. After analyzing data from nearly half a million people, scientists have no doubt that the risk of stomach cancer increases with salt consumption.

The connection between salt intake and stomach cancer is not new – it has been recognized for years, yet earlier studies primarily considered populations in Asia. The research team from the Medical University of Vienna chose to investigate stomach cancer instances among Europeans.

The results are clear: individuals who frequently – according to their own statements – add extra salt to their meals, have, compared to those who refrain, about a 40 percent higher chance of developing stomach cancer.

This finding is supported by the analysis of data from over 470,000 Britons, gathered for the UK-Biobank research project since 2006. An observation period of 11 years has shown that in individuals who avoid salting their food entirely, the risk of developing stomach cancer is reduced by 39 percent.

Co-author of the study, Selma Kronsteiner-Gicevic, pointed out in discussing the observed link, that it remained significant even after accounting for demographic, socio-economic factors, and lifestyle influences.

Stomach cancer ranks as the fifth most common cancer worldwide, with its risk increasing after the age of 50. Nonetheless, researchers are observing a growing number of cancer diagnoses in younger individuals.

Among other risk factors, such as type 2 diabetes or infection with the Helicobacter pylori bacteria, according to the research team, one cause is a diet excessively high in salt. The study's lead, Tilman Kühn, concluded the findings: