Gastric cancer is the 4th cause of cancer mortality in men and the 5th cause in women. Among the risk factors, in addition to genetic predisposition, there are stomach infections caused by bacteria. Helicobacter pylorismoking, but also a diet rich in salty products and poor in fresh vegetables and fruits.
This is why researchers from the Department of Nutrition at Zhejiang Hospital, China, sought to find out if what is considered the best diet for health, in other words the Mediterranean diet, rich in fresh fruits and vegetables , could have a preventive role in stomach cancers.
A study of 1.3 million people
As a reminder, the Mediterranean diet focuses on fruits and vegetables, whole grains, legumes, seafood, nuts, seeds, olive oil and herbs and spices rich in antioxidants.
Rich in vitamins, Omega-3, antioxidants and fiber, it prevents the risk of cardiovascular diseases, reduces the risk of suffering from dementia as we age and therefore also has protective effects on the stomach against cancer.
For their study, the Chinese researchers analyzed the findings of 11 previous studies, involving a total of 1,366,318 participants. Their findings reveal that, compared to people who follow this type of diet very little, the highest adherence to the Mediterranean diet is associated with a 29% reduction in risk of gastric cancer.
The best diet for health
“In recent decades, diet has been recognized as one of the main contributors to gastric cancer. To date, growing epidemiological evidence suggests the beneficial role of strong adherence to the Mediterranean diet on certain diseases non-communicable chronic diseases, such as cardiovascular diseases, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and certain types of cancers. And given the characteristics of the Mediterranean diet, it could be an ideal diet to reduce the risk of gastric cancer” insist Researchers.
Source :Adherence to the Mediterranean diet and risk of gastric cancer: a systematic review and dose-response meta-analysisFrontiers in nutrition, September 2023
