Eating red meat cuts the rate of stomach cancer

This study was published in the International Journal of Cancer 1998 May 29;76(5):659-64

Study title and authors:
Dietary habits and stomach cancer in Shanghai, China.

Ji BT, Chow WH, Yang G, McLaughlin JK, Zheng W, Shu XO, Jin F, Gao RN, Gao YT, Fraumeni JF Jr.
Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD, USA. jib@epndce.nci.nih.gov

This study can be accessed at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9610722

This study examined the connection between various types of food and stomach cancer. Included in the study were 1,124 stomach cancer patients (age 20-69) and 1,451 controls without stomach cancer.

The study found with regard to carbohydrate type food:

• Men with the highest carbohydrate consumption had a 50% increased risk of stomach cancer compared to men with the lowest carbohydrate consumption.
• Women with the highest carbohydrate consumption had a 90% increased risk of stomach cancer compared to women with the lowest carbohydrate consumption.
• Men eating the most noodles and bread had a 10% increase in stomach cancer risk compared to men who ate the least noodles and bread.
• Women eating the most noodles and bread had a 20% increase in stomach cancer risk compared to women who ate the least noodles and bread.

The study found with regard to meat and fat:

• Men eating the most fresh red meat had a 10% decreased risk of stomach cancer compared to men eating the least fresh red meat.
• Women eating the most fresh red meat had a 20% decreased risk of stomach cancer compared to women eating the least fresh red meat.
• Men consuming the most eggs had a 40% reduction in stomach cancer risk compared to the men eating the least eggs.
• Women consuming the most eggs had a 50% reduction in stomach cancer risk compared to the women eating the least eggs.
• Men with the highest fat consumption had 30% less incidence of stomach cancer compared to men with the lowest consumption of fat.
• Women with the highest fat consumption had 40% less incidence of stomach cancer compared to women with the lowest consumption of fat.

This study shows that a high carbohydrate diet increases the risk of stomach cancer whereas a diet high in fat, red meat and eggs lowers the risk of stomach cancer.