A new study published on Dec 9 in the online journal American Journal of Clinical Nutrition has associated use of Mediterranean diet with a lower risk of stomach or gastric cancer.
The finding may suggest that either the Mediterranean diet itself helps protect against stomach cancer or conversely, that other diets may boost the risk of a disease that kills about 23 percent of patients within five years of diagnosis.
The study, led by Dr. Carlos A. Gonzalez and colleagues of the Catalan Institute for Oncology in Barcelona showed that those who adhered to the diet most closely had a 33 percent reduced risk of stomach cancer compared to those who did not adhere to the diet as closely.
The researchers analyzed data from the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) Study, which involved 485,044 men and women aged 35 to 70 years from 10 European countries.
Based on their dietary practices, participants were given scores on an 18-point scale to indicate the degree of their adherence to the Mediterranean diet with the highest score referring to the best adherence.
Every one-point increase in the score was associated with 5 percent reduction in the risk of stomach cancer, Gonzalez and his team found.
Stomach cancer is diagnosed in 21,700 Americans each year in the United States according to the American Cancer Society.
The diet-related risk factors for stomach cancer include Helicobacter pylori infection, salted fish and meat, foods high in starch and low in fiber, pickled veggies and foods and beverages with high amounts of nitrates and nitrites.
Stomach cancer symptoms include indigestion or heartburn, discomfort or pain in the stomach, nausea and vomiting, diarrhea or constipation, bloating after meals, weakness and fatigue without known causes, loss of appetite, among others.
Mediterranean diet has been linked to a reduced risk of a number of other diseases including depression, inflammation, premature death, diabetes, birth defect, cardiovascular disease, Alzheimer’s disease, obesity/overweight to name a few.
The Mediterranean diet consists of large quantities of fruit, vegetables, whole grains, and moderate amounts of olive oil, nuts, poultry and fish with no more than half the daily intake of calories from carbohydrates.