Healthy dietary habits are important for GCA prevention

The gastric cardiac adenocarcinoma (GCA) is a very rare disease. In recent decades, however, the incidence of the GCA has increased dramatically in many Western countries. An increasing trend in GCA is also observed in municipal regions but not in rural regions of China. Another striking feature is the strong male predominance among patients with GCA. Some of the reasons above are still unclear and require further epidemiological investigations.

A research article published on November 21, 2009 in the World Journal of Gastroenterology addresses this question. A research team from Taiwan investigated the etiologic factors shared by lifestyles, diet, and other environmental exposures associated with GCA among men in Taiwan. They additionally investigated the association with H. pylori infection.

They found working or exercising after meals, and H. pylori infection may increase the risk of GCA. Moreover, the interactive effect between working or exercising after meals and H. pylori infection augments the risk while rice as principal food and higher intakes of fresh vegetables and fruits may well reduce the risk.

Their results suggest that healthy dietary habits to avoid the chronic exposure to higher and provocative gastric acidity and eradication of H. pylori are important for the GCA prevention. Daily intake of fresh vegetables, fruits and rice as principal food should be encouraged for the beneficial effect to prevent GCA.