Noon Chai and gastric cancer

Abstract

Gastric cancer remains a global disease worldwide. This is a partly preventable public health problem. Several factors are suspected to play a role in gastric carcinogenesis. High salt intake and gastric cancer are closely related. Dietary sodium chloride has been identified both epidemiologically and experimentally to be capable of increasing the risk of gastric cancer. Kashmir is a high prevalence zone of gastric cancer. The consumption of Noon Chai is considered one of the factors contributing to gastric cancer in Kashmir. Noon Chai is a traditional salted tea beverage made in Kashmir. It is taken in morning and afternoon, almost by everyone, every day, irrespective of gender or age. It is made from special tea leaves, milk, salt and sodium bicarbonate. Salted tea has high methylating activity and leads to exposure to some potent nitrosamines or their precursors which are suspected carcinogens. A review on Noon Chai and its relationship with gastric cancer in Kashmir is presented.