By Life Quotes, Inc. Staff

Those with the highest amount of sodium intake may also have the highest risk for stomach cancer, according to a recent study in the British Journal of Cancer.

Researchers evaluated 1091 volunteers, 442 with confirmed cases of stomach cancer and 649 with no clinically confirmed history of any type of cancer. All of the study volunteers were given questionnaires to determine their daily sodium intake through four different methods; salt-exposure, sodium intake, consumption of foods with high levels of sodium, and salt intake as evaluated on a visual scale.

The results showed that those with confirmed cases of stomach cancer consumed more sodium on a daily basis, with an average of 3531.1 mg per day compared to the 3474.1 mg per day of the cancer-free control group. They also consumed a higher amount of high-sodium foods, with 7.8 servings versus 7.2 servings per day.

Stomach cancer is the second leading cause of cancer deaths after lung cancer, causing 803,000 per year deaths worldwide according to the World Health Organization. Those whose salt intake increases their risk of developing the disease should consider researching life insurance coverage options early on to avoid the difficulty cancer patients face in obtaining life insurance policies.