Diet and gastric cancer: nutrition survey in a high-risk area.

A nutrition survey was done in four Colombian villages situated in the rural area of Nariño, previously identified as exhibiting different levels of risk for gastric cancer and its precursor lesions. The survey was based on personal visits by trained interviewers to a random sample of families in each village. The major findings of the survey reflected a higher consumption of fava beans in villages with high indices of gastric cancer risk and a higher consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables in villages where such indices were lower. Excessive salt intake and lower potassium intake in villages with a high risk of gastric cancer were suggested, but further work is required to test this preliminary observation. A generally low intake of animal proteins and a high intake of cereals in Nariño did not discriminate between villages at different levels of risk to gastric cancer and its precursors.