Eating poultry, fish may lower liver cancer risk

Eating lots of white meat such as poultry or fish may reduce the risk of developing liver cancer, says a promising analysis.

"The findings indicate that a high level of white meat or fish consumption can reduce the risk of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) significantly, while intake of red meat, processed meat or total meat is not associated with HCC risk," researchers explained.

Nutritionally, fish and white meat are a rich source of unsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) and have less cholesterol and saturated fat compared with red meat.

The incidence of HCC remains on an increasing trend worldwide in past decades which has been supposed to be partially contributed by the prevalence of obesity and diabetes, authors noted.

"Dietary interventions and lifestyle changes may be a promising approach for preventing liver cancer," they concluded.

The meta-analysis went through studies published between 1956 and 2013.

The research appeared in the journal Alimentary Pharmacology and Therapeutics.