There's now a substantial amount of evidence that eating more meat – particularly red and processed meat – increases the risk of cancer. However, not every study dataset shows an association, and researchers are looking for more clarity, particularly when it comes to specific cancer types.A new study published in the International Journal of Cancer, put together by an international team of researchers, takes a closer look at meat's relationship to cancers of the stomach (gastric) and esophagus called adenocarcinomas – cancers that start in glandular cells.Cases of esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC) in particular have been rising in recent years, and esophageal cancer as a whole is now the 11th most common cancer worldwide. Gastric cancers (GCs) are even more widespread, coming in at 5th in the table.The team looked at data from 450,112 people involved in a long-running health research project, data which included details on diet and cancer cases. The participants were tracked for an average of 14.1 years, and clear correlations emerged – as well as some unexpected results."Higher processed meat intake was associated with an increased risk of gastric cancer, especially intestinal-type gastric cancer, and esophageal adenocarcinoma," write the researchers in their published paper.The researchers cross-referenced cancer cases against meat consumption. (Bonet et al., Int. J. Cancer, 2026)"This study adds new evidence for gastric and esophageal cancer prevention related to meat consumption."An additional 30 grams of processed meat per day was associated with a 9 percent increase in GC risk and a 13 percent increase in EAC risk, the researchers calculated.However, the study also analyzed unprocessed red meat and unprocessed white meat separately, and that turned up some interesting findings. First, there was no significant connection between unprocessed red meat and these specific cancer types.Second, a 20 gram daily increase in white meat was associated with a 20 percent increased risk of cancer in the lower and middle parts of the stomach in women – the researchers found no such link in men.