What you consume significantly impacts your health, and a study from the University of California San Diego School of Medicine reveals the deadly connection between diet and liver cancer. Liver cancer ranks as the sixth most diagnosed cancer and the fourth leading cause of cancer-related deaths globally.
The research, published in Nature, highlights how fatty liver disease can progress to hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), the most common liver cancer type. Over the last two decades, HCC cases have surged by 25-30%, fueled by the growing prevalence of fatty liver disease, affecting 25% of U.S. adults. Around 20% develop a severe variant, MASH, which drastically elevates cancer risks. However, the precise cellular mechanisms behind this progression remain unclear.
The study demonstrated that diets rich in fat and sugar inflict DNA damage in liver cells. These injured cells often enter a state called senescence, where they stop dividing but remain active. Alarmingly, some survive this stage, potentially mutating into cancer cells over time.
Researchers suggest drugs targeting DNA repair or new antioxidants could prevent such damage. Moreover, understanding how aging and poor diets stress cellular metabolism may guide public health efforts.
“A fast-food diet can be as hazardous as smoking in the long term,” warns lead researcher Michael Karin, Ph.D.
This study underscores the need for balanced nutrition to combat hidden cellular changes with far-reaching consequences.
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