Eating whole grains protects against liver cancer –

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"Al-Ahsa today" – Al-Ahsa

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) – A diet with large amounts of whole grains may be a new benefit, the researchers note.

An analysis of more than 125,000 men and women over the past 24 years found that those who ate more whole grains were 40% less likely to develop liver cancer than those who ate less.

The researchers found in the journal Gamma Network Open that the study group included only 141 cases of liver cancer, so it is necessary to determine why the protection of whole grain is used.

"Although liver cancer is relatively rare in the United States, it is deadly," said Xuehong Chang, senior researcher at Harvard Medical School and working at the Boston Women's Hospital.

"The small number of cases is mainly due to lower rates of liver cancer in the United States (fewer than five in every 100,000 people), although the frequency of infections has accelerated in recent decades."

"As expected, we only documented 200 cases (liver cancer), despite the large sample and long-term follow-up," he said.

"Consumption of whole grains and dietary fiber, particularly fiber-rich cereals, has been associated with reduced risks of obesity, type 2 diabetes, and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, which increase the risk of developing liver cancer, "Zhang said in an email.