Alcohol use has been shown to increase the risk of gastric cancer, but the effect of the amount of alcohol consumed and gastric cancer risk has been controversial. Based on a meta-analysis of 10 studies, moderate alcohol consumption was shown to increase gastric cancer risk by 39%, while heavy consumption further worsened the odds.Cultures whose diets are rich in salt and pickled foods, such as the Japanese, exhibit higher rates of gastric cancer. Japanese immigrants to the United States who assimilated and adopted Western foods exhibited a substantially lower rate of gastric cancer relative to those who did not assimilate their diet.
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