Dietary Acid Load and Risk of Gastric Cancer: A Case-Control Study in Iran

Farimah  Dehghani; Fatemeh  Toorang; Bahareh  Sasanfar; Saba  Narmcheshm; Maryam  Hadji; Kazem  Zendehdel; Ahmad  Esmaillzadeh

doi:10.18502/jnfs.v10i2.18531

Farimah Dehghani Department of Community Nutrition, School of Nutritional Sciences and Dietetics, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
Fatemeh Toorang Department of Community Nutrition, School of Nutritional Sciences and Dietetics, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
Bahareh Sasanfar Cancer Research Center, Cancer Institute, Tehran University of Medical Science, Tehran, Iran
Saba Narmcheshm Department of Community Nutrition, School of Nutritional Sciences and Dietetics, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
Maryam Hadji Cancer Research Center, Cancer Institute, Tehran University of Medical Science, Tehran, Iran
Kazem Zendehdel Cancer Research Center, Cancer Institute, Tehran University of Medical Science, Tehran, Iran
Ahmad Esmaillzadeh Department of Community Nutrition, School of Nutritional Sciences and Dietetics, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

DOI: https://doi.org/10.18502/jnfs.v10i2.18531

Keywords: Diet; Stomach cancer; Iran; Dietary acid load

Abstract

Background: Dietary Acid Load (DAL) is the balance between acid-producing and base-producing food. Previous studies have assessed the association between DAL and the risk of several cancers. However, few studies have investigated the association between DAL and Gastric Cancer (GC) risk. The current study was carried out to evaluate the association between DAL and GC risk in Iran. Methods: The current case-control study was conducted on 184 patients newly diagnosed with GC and 276 healthy controls. A validated diet history questionnaire (DHQ) was applied to assess dietary intake. DAL was calculated by computing amounts of protein intake into potassium contents through net endogenous acid production (NEAP) method. Multi-adjusted logistic regression was used to define the association between DAL and GC risk. Results: The mean age of participants was 56.26 years. Intakes of energy, dietary fiber, zinc, selenium, grain, fruits, and vegetables were significantly lower, and protein intake was significantly higher in the case group compared to the control group. A direct association was observed between DAL and GC risk (OR=4.59; 95% CI:2.61-8.07; P-trend<0.001, for T2 versus T3). In the fully adjusted model, DAL was positively associated with the risk of GC (OR=3.55; 95% CI:1.89-6.99; P-trend<0.001). Conclusion: Higher DAL scores were directly associated with greater GC odds which supports the current recommendations for decreasing the risk of cancer incidence.