Eating white meat and fish may lower risk of liver cancer

Washington: Eating lots of white meat such as poultry or fish may reduce the risk of developing liver cancer, scientists say. Researchers studied the relationship between meat intake and the risk of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

They analysed studies published between 1956 and 2013 and found that eating white meat or fish may reduce the risk of developing liver cancer by 31 per cent and 22 per cent respectively.

Consuming red meat, processed meat, or total meat was not associated with liver cancer risk. "The present meta-analysis indicates that a high level of white meat or fish consumption can reduce the risk of HCC significantly, while intake of red meat, processed meat or total meat is not associated with HCC risk," researchers wrote in the study published in the journal Alimentary Pharmacology and Therapeutics.

"Our findings suggest that dietary intervention may be a promising approach for prevention of HCC, which still need to be confirmed by further well-designed prospective studies and experimental research," they wrote.