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Whole grains help prevent liver cancer, according to a US study

19 February 20246 January 2024 by Renato Torlaschi

An increased supply of whole grains and fiber is associated with a reduced risk of hepatocellular carcinoma, the most common form of liver cancer, according to a large observational study with a long follow-up, published in Jama Oncology and coordinated by Xuehong Zhang of Brigham and Women’s Hospital, affiliated with Harvard Medical School in Boston.

Experts have long suspected that diet may be an important risk factor for hepatocellular carcinoma, but until now scientific evidence had only been produced regarding the consumption of certain mushroom-contaminated foods and large amounts of alcohol. In this case, the researchers focused instead on whole grains and dietary fiber, which had already been associated a lower risk of obesity, type 2 diabetes, and nonalcoholic liver steatosis-all known predisposing factors for hepatocellular carcinoma.

The team conducted a cohort study of 125,455 people and examined their intakes of whole grains, their components (bran and germ), and dietary fiber, which are present not only in unrefined grains but also in fruits and vegetables. Study participants were asked to fill out questionnaires regarding their eating habits every two years, and to analyze the data, the researchers then divided the study subjects into tertiles based on their consumption levels of the foods considered.

During an average follow-up that lasted a full 24 years, 141 participants were affected by hepatocellular carcinoma.

Statistical analysis of the data showed that a higher intake of whole grains was significantly associated with a lower risk of this cancer.

“If our results are confirmed, increasing fiber consumption of whole grains could serve as a possible strategy for primary prevention of hepatocellular carcinoma,” Zhang said in an email to Medscape Medical News.

E Nicola McKeown, an expert in nutrition epidemiology from Tufts University in Boston, commented that the benefits of these foods go beyond preventing a specific cancer: “More studies will be needed to ascertain the impact on liver cancer of whole grains, but introducing more of them into one’s diet is a good strategy for improving overall health.”.

High meat consumption increases the likelihood of hepatic steatosis

19 February 20246 January 2024 by Renato Torlaschi

People who eat a lot of animal protein are more likely to have excess fat in their liver and a higher risk of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) than people whose main source of protein is vegetables. This is suggested by a Dutch study from Erasmus MC University Medical Center published in the journal Gut.

Th e researchers, coordinated by hepatologist Sarwa Darwish Murad, examined data obtained from liver fat scans and questionnaires regarding the eating habits of 3,882 people, with an average age of 70 years: 34 percent (1,337) were found to have NAFLD, and among them, 1,205 were overweight.

Overweight people who consumed the most protein from foods of animal origin showed 54 percent greater odds of having fatty liver than people who consumed less meat.

“The association,” Murad explained, “was maintained independent of other recognized risk factors for steatosis, such as metabolic and sociodemographic factors, lifestyle, and, especially relevant, even total caloric intake

Study participants without fatty liver consumed an average of 2,052 calories per day, compared with 1,996 calories per day for people with fatty liver; the latter also got a larger share of their total calories from protein. Vegetable consumption was similar in both groups, while meats accounted for the most noticeable difference in protein consumption.

The study has methodological limitations, acknowledged by the authors themselves, who also relied on questionnaires, which may be unreliable, to assess participants’ diets and caloric intake, and did not collect other data related to possible nondietary causes of fat accumulation in the liver, such as viral infections or taking certain medications.

But these findings add to other evidence confirming the potential of healthy eating habits to minimize the risk of steatosis, even when people have a genetic risk for the condition. Experts suggest that people should limit red and processed meat and follow a Mediterranean diet, rich in whole grains, vegetables and olive oil.

Liver-friendly foods

14 February 20246 January 2024 by Redazione My Special Doctor

Alcoholic drinks, fried foods, sausages, fatty meats and cheeses, creams, Various sauces and gravies can be very attractive and pleasing to the palate, but they are much less so for the liver, which has to work hard to digest them. This is well known. Less well known is that there are also foods that can help the work of the liver, promoting good digestion and general well-being without sacrificing the taste. Know them, take them in the right amount every day, and maintain meal times and regular life rhythms allows one to feel fitter and avoid abdominal discomfort, headaches, fatigue and toxin accumulation harmful.

Hepatitis D: what is it?

1 February 20246 January 2024 by Redazione My Special Doctor

Hepatitis D is caused by a defective RNA virus (delta agent) that can replicate only in the presence of hepatitis B virus. Hepatitis B infection rarely occurs as coinfection during acute hepatitis B or as superinfection during chronic hepatitis, also type B.