A new large-scale European study suggests that consuming even one additional serving of processed meat daily could increase the risk of developing certain types of cancer in the digestive tract.

Researchers from the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition, one of the largest ongoing studies on diet and cancer, followed more than 450,000 adults across Europe for an average of 14 years.

Participants included over 131,000 men and 318,000 women whose health and eating habits were closely monitored during the study period.

Over time, 876 participants developed stomach cancer while 215 developed esophageal adenocarcinoma, a cancer that forms in the tube connecting the mouth to the stomach.

Here's What They're Not Telling You About Your Retirement

The team analyzed where in the stomach these cancers occurred, focusing separately on tumors in the upper and lower stomach regions.

They also grouped the cancers by two cell types—intestinal, which organizes into structured tissue, and diffuse, in which the cells spread more irregularly.

After adjusting for various lifestyle factors, the researchers found that eating just 30 extra grams of processed meat per day was linked to a 9 percent higher risk of stomach cancer.

The same 30-gram increase was also connected to a 13 percent higher likelihood of esophageal adenocarcinoma, the study reported.

This Could Be the Most Important Video Gun Owners Watch All Year

According to nutritional data, a single slice of regular deli-sliced ham weighs about 28 grams, roughly the same amount tested in the study’s risk calculation.

In addition, consuming 20 grams more of white meat such as chicken or turkey each day was associated with a 12 percent higher risk of cancer developing in the main body of the stomach.

Gender differences appeared as well. For men, only processed meat showed a clear statistical link to stomach cancer, while for women, both processed and white meats were linked to higher risk levels.

These findings echo classifications from the World Health Organization’s International Agency for Research on Cancer, which recognizes processed meat as a known human carcinogen due to its established link with colorectal cancer.

At the same time, the agency acknowledges that evidence regarding processed meat and stomach cancer remains less definitive, though studies like this continue to explore the connection.

Researchers emphasized that further work is necessary to confirm their findings and rule out the influence of other possible factors such as certain stomach infections that can interact with dietary habits.

One limitation highlighted by the authors was that participants’ diets were self-reported, which can lead to inaccuracies in recalling the frequency or portion sizes of meats consumed over time.

The study’s results were published in the International Journal of Cancer, and the research team has been contacted for additional comment.

The discussion around processed meat and cancer risk remains ongoing, with scientists continuing to investigate how everyday dietary choices may influence long-term digestive health.