Preserved foods

AvoidCaution

2 studies · 2 recommendations

Last updated: February 25, 2026

Avoid1 studies

Limit salt-preserved and pickled foods to lower gastric cancer risk

High salt intake and salt-preserved foods damage the gastric mucosa and promote the carcinogenic process. The guideline identifies excessive salt and preserved food consumption as modifiable dietary risk factors for gastric cancer.

Evidence

Gastric cancer diagnosis and treatment guidelines 2008: Uganda Cancer Working Group

Authors: Fualal, J, Gakwaya, A, Galukande, M, Jombwe, J, Kanyike, A, Kigula-Mugamba, J, Luwaga, A

Published: June 2, 2016

The 2008 Uganda clinical guideline identifies high salt intake and salt-preserved foods among the dietary risk factors contributing to the multistage gastric oncogenesis process. With gastric cancer incidence rising 7-fold in Uganda from 0.8/100,000 to 5.6/100,000, the guideline prioritizes primary prevention through dietary risk factor modification as the most impactful strategy, given that most patients present at advanced stages with poor prognosis.

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Caution1 studies

Preserved meat and fish linked to higher N-nitroso compound exposure

Preserved meat and fish consumption was significantly associated with elevated urinary levels of NMTCA, a volatile N-nitroso compound. N-nitroso compounds are thought to play a significant role in gastric cancer development, and dietary sources of these compounds warrant caution.

Evidence

Urinary levels of N-nitroso compounds in relation to risk of gastric cancer: Findings from the Shanghai cohort study

Authors: A Jemal, AJ Cross, AR Tricker, AR Tricker, C La Vecchia, CA Gonzalez, CL Sun, D Pobel, DM Parkin, DR Scott, E De Stefani, FD Ji, G De Bernardinis, H Ohshima, H Ohshima, H Ohshima, H Suzuki, Heather H. Nelson, JC Lunn, JE Stuff, Jeffrey S Chang, JG Kusters, JH Hotchkiss, Jian-Min Yuan, JM van Maanen, JM Yuan, JM Yuan, JM Yuan, JS Griesenbeck, KA Moy, Ling Xu, M Carboni, M McCracken, NE Breslow, NP Sen, P Jakszyn, P Jakszyn, P Knekt, R Schoental, Renwei Wang, RK Ross, S Calmels, SL He, SS Mirvish, T Herod-Leszczynska, W Lijinsky, Xin-Di Chu, Y Grosse, Yong-Hua Qu, Yu-Tang Gao

Published: February 6, 2015

In this nested case-control study within a prospective cohort of 18,244 men in Shanghai, China, 191 gastric cancer cases and 569 matched controls were analyzed. Urinary NMTCA (N-nitroso-2-methylthiazolidine-4-carboxylic acid) levels were significantly associated with consumption of preserved meat and fish food items. Elevated urinary nitrate levels were associated with increased gastric cancer risk among H. pylori seronegative individuals, with multivariate-adjusted odds ratios of 3.27 (95% CI: 0.76–14.04) for the second tertile and 4.82 (95% CI: 1.05–22.17) for the third tertile compared to the lowest tertile (P for trend = 0.042).

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