How To Prevent Stomach Cancer Naturally Through Our Diet

Stomach cancer is one of the most common forms of cancer in Singapore. On average, each year (from 2017-2021), there are over 550 cases of stomach cancer diagnosed. This article looks into the question on how we can prevent stomach cancer naturally through our diet.

What Causes Stomach Cancer?

Stomach cancer occurs when there are changes to the way cells in the stomach function, especially when they are not able to grow and divide into new cells normally. There are known factors that increase the risk of contracting the cancer. These stomach cancer risk factors include:

• Age.
• Helicobacter pylori infection of the stomach.
• Consumption of salted or preserved (cured/smoked/pickled) foods.
• Low consumption of vegetables and fruits
• Smoking.
• Alcohol consumption.
• Family history of stomach cancer.

How To Prevent Stomach Cancer Naturally

While there is no definitive way to prevent stomach cancer, naturally or otherwise, we can take steps to reduce our risk of stomach cancer by addressing the controllable risk factors i.e. adjusting our lifestyles – reduce / ceasing smoking and alcohol consumption, and adjusting our diet.

How Our Diet Affects The Risk Of Stomach Cancer

According to a study Gastric Cancer Risk Was Associated with Dietary Factors Irritating the Stomach Wall: A Case–Control Study in Korea published by the US National Library of Medicine:

• It is well established that consumption of fruits, vegetables, and vitamin C decreases stomach cancer risk, while habitual salt intake increases the risk.
• High meal frequency (more than 3 meals per day), causes the stomach to work continuously, increasing reflux and increases the risk of stomach cancer. This is especially so when the meals are high in carbohydrates.
• Repeated overeating also increases the risk of stomach cancer. This is because overeating forces the stomach lining to expand, which may damage the gastric mucosa. Additionally, a significant amount of food eaten at once can result in excessive production of hydrochloric acid in the stomach. This may contribute to peptic ulcer disease, gastroesophageal reflux disease, and gastrointestinal bleeding, leading to increased stomach cancer risk.
• Spicy foods may expose people to increased risk of stomach cancer. It is “plausible” that capsaicin found in spicy foods acts as a carcinogenic agent. Spicy foods can also worsen symptoms of gastritis or stomach ulcers.
• The study also found an increased risk of stomach cancer in due to consumption of more salty foods.
• Due to “the adverse effects of each dietary factor itself on the stomach wall”, it is plausible that a combination these dietary factors further increases the risk of stomach cancer. The study noted that participants who had meals frequently and overate showed the highest risk of stomach cancer.

Thus, to prevent stomach cancer naturally through our diet naturally, we should consider:

• Avoiding overeating and limiting ourselves to a maximum of 3 meals a day.
• Reducing intake of salty and spicy foods
• Ensuring we take sufficient fruits and vegetables.

Learn More About Stomach Cancer

To learn more about stomach cancer – such as stomach cancer symptoms, stomach cancer screening, and doctors for treatment of stomach cancer, navigate to our Stomach Cancer page.