The Mediterranean Diet and Gastric Cancer

Gastric cancer (GC) is still the fourth most common malignancy worldwide. There is consistent evidence of a relationship between several groups of foods that are typical components of the Mediterranean dietary (MD) pattern and the risk of GC. However, the evidence from epidemiological studies using an MD score is minimal. There is only one study (Eurogast) from the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) Study that has examined this association, based on an 18-unit linear MD score that incorporated nine keys components. After adjusting for established GC risk factors, a high compared with low level of adherence to an MD was associated with a significant 33% reduction in risk of GC overall (HR: 0.67; 95% CI: 0.47–0.94). In conclusion, although more studies are needed to confirm the results of this study, high adherence to the MD pattern seems to be associated with a strong protective effect against GC risk.