Pickled vegetables may promote the development of gastric cancer in Japanese and Koreans.

This study investigated the relationship between the consumption of fresh and pickled vegetables and gastric cancer incidence in Japanese and Koreans. Researchers conducted a meta-analysis on data obtained from 26 studies and published epidemiological reports.

Researchers discovered that high consumption of fresh vegetables reduced the risk of developing gastric cancer. However, high incidence of gastric cancer was observed in individuals who consumed large quantities of pickled vegetables. The findings of this meta-analysis reveal that high intake of only fresh vegetables—not a combination of pickled and fresh vegetables—may lower gastric cancer incidence rate in Japanese and Korean populations.