Relationship of diet to the incidence of esophageal and stomach cancer in Japan.
The food intake of households in 1,040 census tracts sampled in 1974, 1975, and 1976 for the nationwide nutrition survey of the Japanese Ministry of Health and Welfare, and the standardized mortality ratios (SMRs) of stomach and esophageal cancers from 1969 to 1974 for the cities, towns, and villages of the nutrition survey areas, were linked and their relationship was observed statistically by correlation analysis and multiple regression analysis. The results obtained are summarized as follows: 1. The food items positively related to the SMR for stomach cancer were wheat, pickled vegetables, and beef, while tofu (soybean curd) was negatively related. 2. Foods positively related to esophageal cancer were wheat, pork, and dried or salted fish. 3. Pickled vegetables and dried or salted fish contain a high percentage of salt (NaCl), and thus the positive relationship of these foods to both stomach and esophageal cancers suggests a relationship between salt and these diseases.
D000818:Animals; D002417:Cattle; D004032:Diet / Q000009:adverse effects*; D004041:Dietary Fats / Q000009:adverse effects; D004938:Esophageal Neoplasms / Q000209:etiology* / Q000401:mortality; D005260:Female; D005399:Fishes; D005519:Food Preservation / Q000009:adverse effects; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan; D008297:Male; D008460:Meat / Q000009:adverse effects; D009749:Nutrition Surveys; D012737:Sex Factors; D012965:Sodium Chloride / Q000009:adverse effects; D013025:Glycine max; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000209:etiology* / Q000401:mortality; D013552:Swine; D014908:Triticum / Q000009:adverse effects; D014675:Vegetables / Q000009:adverse effects
D004041:Dietary Fats; D012965:Sodium Chloride