Stomach cancer is more likely to occur in individuals who regularly consumed salt processed foods, such as salted meat and pickled vegetables, than in rare and non-consumers of these foods.

This study examined the effect of high consumption of salt-processed foods, such as salted meat and pickled vegetables, on gastric (stomach) cancer risk. Using validated food frequency questionnaires, researchers collated and analyzed the diets of 316 subjects recruited from a district in China. The gastric cancer odds ratio of each participant in this study was also determined.

Researchers discovered that subjects who regularly ate salt-processed foods had higher chances of developing stomach cancer than those who seldomly or did not consume salt-preserved foods. The findings of this study show that generous intake of salted meat, pickled vegetables, and salt-preserved vegetables may contribute positively to the development of stomach cancer.