Milk, fruit and white meat can help reduce the risk of liver cancer, according to a new study published by a team of Italian researchers in the current issue of the International Journal of Cancer.
The team asked 185 patients with liver cancer and 412 healthy individuals to provide detailed information on what they ate.
The researchers discovered that a diet rich in dairy products, like milk and yogurt, can decrease the likelihood of contracting liver cancer by a staggering 78%.
According to the findings, consuming white meat in moderate quantities can reduce the risk of this form of cancer by up to 56%. Eating fresh fruit can decrease the risk of cancer by 52%.
Liver cancer is often correlated with high levels of alcohol intake and with infections like hepatitis. In many cases the only way to help the patient is via organ replacement.
But a proper diet can work wonders, according to the nine scientists working under the leadership of Renato Talamini, of the National Institute of Tumors in Aviano, in northern Italy.
Talamini said that the findings will undoubtedly help people at risk of liver cancer come up with a healthier diet. But he also cautioned that "those who are aware they are susceptible to the disease need to eliminate all of the risk factors which increase the likelihood of contracting this form of cancer. Alcohol is at the top of the list."
