This stress forces the liver into a "survival" state, where it ceases its normal functions such as filtering the blood, processing nutrients, and removing toxins, and simply copes with the pressure from a poor diet. Over time, liver cells regress to a primitive, embryonic state, ready for rapid growth but losing the ability to fully perform their vital functions.
A study conducted by scientists from MIT and Harvard University on mice showed that this dietary stress leads to a slow reprogramming of liver cells over a period of 15 months. After just six months, the stressed liver cells began to prepare for cancer, with regions of DNA that control cell growth being activated, putting the genetic instructions for cancer on high alert years before a tumor develops.
To confirm the findings in humans, scientists analyzed liver samples from patients with metabolic fatty liver disease (MASLD) at different stages, some of whom later developed hepatocellular carcinoma.
The analyses showed the same signs of cellular reprogramming observed in mice, and the strength of the molecular markers was associated with a higher likelihood of developing cancer within 10–15 years.
Hepatocellular carcinoma is the most common type of liver cancer and is often difficult to detect in its early stages due to the lack of symptoms. Early signs may include unexplained weight loss, loss of appetite, or feeling full after a small meal. As the disease progresses, symptoms such as jaundice, fatigue, nausea, easy bleeding or bruising, and abdominal swelling due to fluid retention may develop.
The study indicates that prolonged dietary stress may predispose the liver to cancer development before any tumors appear, emphasizing the importance of limiting the consumption of saturated fats and processed foods, and monitoring liver health regularly, especially in individuals with risk factors such as chronic fatty liver disease, hepatitis, or cirrhosis.
The study was published in the journal Cell.
