Excessive intake of processed meats and salt raises the likelihood of stomach cancer, according to a gastroenterologist who practices at DocMed clinic.
There is a belief that fatty foods, chips, cola, juices, overeating, dry foods, or meals eaten on the run harm the stomach. In reality, these habits can cause dyspepsia — discomfort that does not directly damage the stomach lining. Yet certain habits truly burden the stomach. High consumption of processed meats such as sausages, bacon, ham, dried, fermented, and smoked meats introduces carcinogenic substances that can trigger mutations in stomach cells. For this reason, these items may still be included occasionally in small portions, the doctor noted.
It was explained that consuming too much salt, more than five grams per day, harms the gastric mucosa, stimulates hydrochloric acid production, and amplifies the impact of other carcinogens, increasing stomach cancer risk.
Smoking presents risks on two fronts: peptic ulcers and stomach cancer. The danger of ulcer perforation rises threefold for those who smoke more than fifteen cigarettes daily. The duration of smoking heightens ulcer risk, and men may be more vulnerable to smoking-related stomach harm, the physician warned.
Alcohol likewise harms the gastric lining by elevating hydrochloric acid secretion.
Large-scale research shows that the risk of a bleeding ulcer climbs fourfold when weekly alcohol consumption exceeds four hundred twenty grams, the doctor cautioned.
There is historical medical guidance about foods that older adults should limit for stomach health, underscoring the ongoing message that dietary choices matter for digestion and cancer prevention.