On the table of Shandong people, garlic is the most common and common food, and the anti-cancer effect of garlic is also talked about. Studies at home and abroad have shown that garlic contains more than 100 active ingredients, of which elements such as germanium and selenium can inhibit the growth of tumor cells and cancer cells. In addition, studies have shown that garlic propyl sulfur compounds can play an anti-cancer role by inhibiting the activation of carcinogens, regulating the metabolism of carcinogens, and inhibiting the formation of DNA adducts with carcinogens.
In September 2019, researchers at Peking University Cancer Hospital published a 22.3-year follow-up study in Linqu County, Shandong Province, in the journal BMJ, and found that treatment with Helicobacter pylori eradication, vitamin supplements and garlic supplements were effective in reducing the risk of gastric cancer (GC) death, with garlic supplements reducing the risk of gastric cancer death by 34%. Recently, the research team conducted a second analysis of its follow-up data, and the results were published in the journal JAMA Network Open.
Stomach cancer ranks third in the global cancer mortality rate, and China is a big country with stomach cancer, accounting for more than 40% of the world's new cases every year. Helicobacter pylori infection is a clear risk factor for stomach cancer, and epidemiological studies have shown that a diet rich in vitamins and garlic can also help prevent stomach cancer in high-risk populations with inadequate vitamin intake. Since 1995, Peking University Cancer Hospital has conducted a large-scale intervention trial in Linqu County, a high-incidence area for gastric cancer, exploring the link between lifestyle and gastric cancer incidence and mortality.
Between July 1995 and December 2017, the study included a total of 3365 participants, with an average age of 47.1 (9.2) years and 1639 (48.7%) of women. During follow-up, 151 (4.5%) cases of stomach cancer and 94 (2.8%) of stomach cancer deaths were confirmed. The main findings were to assess the effects of lifestyle, vitamin and garlic supplementation on gastric cancer incidence and mortality, and secondary results were to explore the progression of gastric lesions in participants between 1995 and 2003.
Figure 1 Baseline characteristics (Click to view larger image)
01 Lifestyle and GC risk
The results showed that smoking was the number one "killer" of the stomach, with a 72% increased risk of stomach cancer caused by smoking and a 101% increase in the risk of death. This association was more pronounced in Helicobacter pylori-positive participants, with an 88 percent increase in the incidence of stomach cancer and a 115 percent increase in mortality. In contrast, it was not apparent in participants without Helicobacter pylori infection. The correlation between alcohol and dietary factors and stomach cancer was also not obvious.
Figure 2 Lifestyle and GC risk
02 Lifestyle, nutritional supplements and GC incidence and mortality
Further analysis showed that smoking and eating styles did not significantly affect the preventive and improving effects of vitamin supplementation on stomach cancer, but people who never drank alcohol reduced the risk of stomach cancer death by 67% by supplementing with garlic, and this association was only statistically significant in participants who were positive for Helicobacter pylori.
Fig. 3 Relationship between garlic supplementation and gastric cancer incidence and mortality in patients with or without Helicobacter pylori infection (stratified based on alcohol consumption)
03 Effects of lifestyle and nutritional supplements on the progression of gastric lesions
Between 1995 and 2003, gastroscopy revealed that 42.9 per cent of the participants developed stomach lesions. After analyzing the relevant data, the researchers found that in people with low intake of fresh fruits and vegetables (<81 kg/y), vitamin supplementation played a preventive role, reducing the risk of gastric lesions by 20%, and this association was only statistically significant in participants who were negative for Helicobacter pylori. Micronutrients in fruits and vegetables, such as selenium, β-carotene, and vitamin C, may have a protective effect on the gastric mucosa through anti-inflammatory damage mechanisms.
Fig. 4 Effect of vitamin supplementation on gastric lesion progression in patients with or without Helicobacter pylori infection (stratified according to vegetable and fruit consumption)
Taken together, this study provides new insights into lifestyle interventions for gastric cancer prevention, suggesting that large-scale gastric cancer prevention strategies may need to be tailored to people with different lifestyles to maximize potentially beneficial effects.
bibliography:
[1] Association Between Lifestyle Factors, Vitamin and Garlic Supplementation, and Gastric Cancer Outcomes：A Secondary Analysis of a Randomized Clinical Trial