Luann: Hi! I am Luann from Pittsburgh, and I was wondering if eating spicy foods increases my risk of getting stomach cancer?
Vijay Khatri: Luann, you ask a very interesting question, whether spicy food increases the risk of stomach cancer.
Dietary factors have been extensively studied, and at present there is no scientific evidence to prove a cause-and-effect relationship between ingesting spicy foods and developing stomach cancer.
Peppery food has been a part of human diet for over 8,000 years, and according to a new UK study, spicy food may in fact offer protection against cancer. Capsaicin, the active compound in chillies, has been shown to kill a variety of cancer cells in the laboratory. Interestingly, the rates of stomach cancer are hugely low in countries where chilly peppers are part of a regular diet.
On the other hand, countries with a diet consisting of heavily smoked, salted, and pickled food, have the highest incidence of stomach cancer. So when it comes to dietary recommendation, I feel that moderation is a key to a good diet.
Luann, I hope this answers your question.
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