Salty Foods Increase Gastric Cancer Risk
By Bae Ji-sook
Staff Reporter
People who enjoy eating salty foods may have a 10 percent higher risk of getting gastric cancer than those with a lower sodium intake, a local researcher reported.
Professor Kim Jeong-sun of the National Cancer Center tracked the health reports of 2.2 million people, from aged 30 to 80 years old, for seven years between 1996 and 2003 and found 9,620 males and 277 females developed gastric cancer.
By analyzing their lifestyle data, Kim concluded that those who eat a lot of salty foods had about a 10 percent higher chance of developing stomach cancer than those who don't.
His findings were printed in the March edition of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
Kim said that doctors have always suspected and warned about the link between salty foods and gastric cancer prevalence, but this report, based on the highest number of samples by far in the field, indicated a stronger connection.
It could also be a warning sign for many Koreans who enjoy foods that seem healthy but are actually salty foods.
One of the most famous examples is kimchi.
The fermented spicy cabbage is one of the most popular foods of Korea.
It is said to contain abundant vitamins, fiber, lacto bacillus and other beneficial elements and has been claimed to prevent cancer and obesity.
It is referred to as as anti-bacterial and anti-oxidant food. The American "Health" magazine listed kimchi in its top 5 healthiest food ranking.
However, in about 60 grams of kimchi, there are about 3 to 4 grams of salt. When adding up the other dishes people eat, an average Korean can easily intake more than 8 to 10 grams a day, far above the World Health Organization's guideline of 5 grams.
``The number of gastric cancer patients has been sliding for the past few years, but it is still the No.1 diagnosed cancer in Korea. I advise people to refrain from eating salty and spicy foods and get regular heath checkups for early screening,'' Kim said.