Salty soups 'up cancer risk'

London, Jan 31 (ANI): People who regularly eat soup could be raising their risk of stomach cancer, warns a new study.

According to Dr Rachel Thompson, science programme manager for the World Cancer Research Fund (WCRF), servings of some well-known brands contained half the recommended daily limit of salt intake.

She claimed that soups are one of the "worst culprits" for hidden salt, and recommended people make their own low-salt versions.

Salt is known to increase blood pressure and the risk of stroke and heart disease, but scientists also believe it is a cause of stomach cancer.

Apart from watching the salt content in soups, Thompson said that, another way to keep salt levels down was to reduce intake of salt-preserved foods, such as hams and sausages, as well as pizza, some ready meals and breakfast cereals.

The recommended intake of salt for adults is no more than 6g a day, although people currently consume an average of 8.6g daily, reports the Daily Express.

Dr Thompson said: "Soups are one of the worst culprits for hidden salt. Some brands of soup have as much as half the recommended daily intake per serving.

"Fresh vegetable-based soups tend to have less salt than tinned cream-based soups that include bacon or ham, but even some of the healthier brands of vegetable soups still contain over a third of our recommended daily intake. This is why it's so important for people to always check the labels of products." (ANI)