Salt, processed meat and the risk of cancer

High level of consumption of salty foods and processed meats may lead to a surge in cancer risk.

This study examined whether dietary ingestion of salty foods and processed meats is a risk factor for cancer. Researchers evaluated data from validated food frequency questionnaires completed by 19,732 patients with cancer and 5,039 healthy individuals.

Researchers discovered that fervent consumers of salty foods and processed meats exhibited increased risk of different types of cancer, including stomach, lung, testicular, bladder, kidney, colon, rectum, prostate, pancreas, and leukemia. Evidence from this study indicate that diets high in processed meats and salty foods may favor the development of cancer.