Japan is one of the longest life expectancies, but also one of the highest rates of stomach cancer.

Why? In this two-part video series, I'll uncover the role of H. Pylori.

Diet and how foods like broccoli sprouts and garlic can help us fight back. For decades, Japan has had the longest life expectancy in the world, while spending just a fraction

on health care compared to other high-income countries.

This longevity has been attributed in part to Japanese dietary patterns, which

are thought to have contributed to their comparatively low rates of coronary artery disease.

Japan has historically had amongst the lowest rates of colon cancer, breast cancer,

ovarian cancer, prostate cancer, bladder and blood cancers. Japan, however, has among the highest rates of stomach cancer.

Yes, Japanese men may have had seven times less prostate cancer than Americans,

but got six times more stomach cancer.

Is there some Achilles heel in the Japanese diet?

One of the first theories proposed in the 1970s was that it was the talc used to polish white

rice to give it a glossy sheen.

That was the case with ovarian cancer, which led to billions in damages against Johnson

and Johnson's baby powder, as I detailed in the previous video.

But that did not appear to be the case with

stomach cancer. Is it just genetics? No. Studies on Japanese migrants show that as

they and their children westernize their diets and lifestyles, their stomach

cancer rates drop accordingly. Well, the most well-established risk factor for

stomach cancer is H. pylori, a bacteria

that infects the lining of the stomach and causes the chronic inflammation that can lead to cancer.

H. pylori infection is considered a group 1 carcinogen, indicating our highest level of certainty

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