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Keto Diet's Cancerous Secret: Liver Risk Revealed
2 Jan
Summary
- High-fat, low-carb keto diets may increase liver cancer risk over two decades.
- Liver cells adapt to high fat by becoming primitive, increasing disease vulnerability.
- Study found nearly all mice on high-fat diets developed liver cancer within a year.
Concerning new research indicates that a high-fat, low-carb ketogenic diet, often adopted for rapid weight loss, may elevate the risk of liver cancer within approximately twenty years. Scientists have discovered that persistent exposure to excessive dietary fat fundamentally alters liver cells, prompting them to shift into a more primitive state. While this adaptation helps cells survive stressful conditions, it simultaneously renders them more vulnerable to developing cancer.
The study, involving mice fed a high-fat diet, revealed that liver cells activated survival genes while shutting down those crucial for normal function. This trade-off prioritizes individual cell survival over tissue health. Within a year, nearly all the mice on this diet developed liver cancer, a process observed to unfold over about twenty years in humans, though lifestyle factors can influence this timeframe.
Researchers found that people with liver disease also exhibit this shift, with genes for cell survival increasing and normal liver function genes declining. This cellular adaptation means that if a damaging mutation occurs, cancerous development is more likely and proceeds faster. The team is now exploring whether dietary changes or weight loss drugs can reverse these cellular alterations and reduce cancer risk.
