Posted on 02/02/2026 9:25:18 PM PST by ConservativeMind
People with compromised liver function may be able to reduce their risk of liver cancer or slow its progression with a simple dietary change: eating less protein. A study has found that low-protein diets slowed liver tumor growth and cancer death in mice, uncovering a mechanism by which a liver's impaired waste-handling machinery can inadvertently fuel cancer.
When people consume protein, the nitrogen can be converted into ammonia, a substance that's toxic to the body and brain. A healthy liver typically processes this ammonia into harmless urea, which is excreted via urine.
To test whether impaired ammonia processing drives cancer or is simply a byproduct, Zong's team utilized a technique to induce liver tumors in mice without crippling the ammonia-disposal system. The researchers then used gene-editing tools to disable ammonia-processing enzymes in some—but not all—of those animals and compared outcomes.
The results were striking: Mice with disabled enzymes and higher ammonia levels developed heavier tumor burdens and experienced a much faster rate of mortality than those with functioning systems.
The researchers then traced the excess ammonia and discovered that it migrated into molecules that cancer cells require to thrive.
"The ammonia goes into amino acids and nucleotides, both of which tumor cells depend on for growth," said Zong.
With the mechanism established, the researchers tested a straightforward intervention: reducing dietary protein. Mice fed low-protein food exhibited dramatically slower tumor growth and lived significantly longer than those that received food with standard levels of protein.
Standard cancer care guidelines typically recommend higher protein intake to help patients during treatment. The appropriate balance would likely depend on a patient's specific diagnosis and liver function, Zong added, but protein reduction may be right for people with elevated ammonia.
"Reducing protein consumption may be the easiest way to get ammonia levels down," Zong said.
(Excerpt) Read more at medicalxpress.com ...
Talk about the r Horns of a Dilemma.
I don’t believe we need to be stuck there. Everything in moderation, I think. Plus, some people are large,some small (like me) so “too much”. varies.
Bkmk
[Talk about the r Horns of a Dilemma.
I don’t believe we need to be stuck there. Everything in moderation, I think. Plus, some people are large,some small (like me) so “too much”. varies.]
“2 lbs of meat a day”
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Pre-cooked or post-cooked?
Bookmark
[“2 lbs of meat a day”
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Pre-cooked or post-cooked?]
2 lbs is overkill but the RDA very much depends on how much one exercises.
Worth noting: This study focuses on people (and mice) with compromised liver function and high ammonia, not healthy/active folks.
For someone training hard and needing ~110–150 g protein/day (1.6–2.0 g/kg), cutting protein would hurt gains/recovery.
If liver concerns exist: Shift some to lower-ammonia sources like eggs, fish, lean poultry, whey, or plants.
I doubt this.
You see, liver cancer is very common in Africa, including in populations who eat a low protein diet.
No one is sure why it is so common: Maybe from scar tissue due to Hepatitis a/b/c/d, or maybe from aflatoxins from fungi present on peanuts and ground nuts which are commonly eaten.
Yeah, I agree on this. I’m not buying that high protein causes liver cancer. Matter of fact, they’re very careful to parse their words: “may SLOW liver cancer.” So, you’ve already got liver cancer. Why? What was the epigenesis of the cancer. Are you eating a ton of BBQ or smoked meats? That’s correlated to higher risk. What’s the carbohydrate intake of the patient? Are they eating clean starches or plowing through a bag of bite size Snickers every day?
Too much new science is coming out showing the correlation between carbohydrates, specifically sugar, and higher incidence of cancers. I don’t buy that protein is the problem. Cancers feed on sugars and glycogen produced by the body. Reduce the intake of sugar and all carbohydrates and you starve the cancer. This isn’t quantum mechanics. It’s being seen in all sorts of studies. Why demonize protein which is the primary source of nutrition for the human body?
This is not saying any protein causes liver cancer in healthy livers.
However, if your liver was damaged by hepatitis or another source, your liver no longer can get rid of the ammonia proteins cause to be generated, while processed by the body.
It builds up and helps cause liver inflammation. As livers seem to progress in stages to cirrhosis and then liver cancer, it seems they found what encourages, then feeds, liver cancer, with their approach.
Please see post #13.
Ammonia is not a problem with normal livers and protein does not cause liver cancer from ammonia backing up in people who can get rid of it.
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