Researchers have discovered that eating potatoes and cabbage can help reduce the risk of developing stomach cancer.
People that eat a large amount of white vegetable, such as onions and cauliflower were found to be a third less likely to develop cancer than those who did not eat white vegetables.
Conversely, the risk was increased by consuming beers, spirits, salt and preserved food.
The study involved analyzing 76 existing studies into diet and stomach cancer which have involved 6.3m people being surveyed and 33,000 deaths from the disease.
The study found that for every 100g of fruit consumed daily, the risk of developing stomach cancer is reduced by five percent. The risk was additionally reduced by eight percent for every 50mg of vitamin C consumed, which is the equivalent of two potatoes.
Both fruit and white vegetables are risk sources of vitamin C, which showed significant protective effect against gastric cancer.
The study also found that salt consumption increased the risk by twelve percent.
The decreasing number of gastric cancer in developed countries may be partly the result of increased use of refrigeration, availability of fresh fruit and vegetables and decreased reliance on salted or preserved goods.
The study asserts a positive correlation between high-salt foods and gastric cancer risk. It also demonstrates a strong effect of alcohol consumption, particularly beer and liquor but not wine, on gastric cancer risk. This was an observation made by comparing drinkers with nondrinkers.
This study provides comprehensive and strong evidence that there are a number of protective and risk factors for gastric cancer in diet.
These findings could have significant public health implications with regard to prevention of gastric cancer and provide insights into future cohort studies and the design of related clinical trials.
