Washington DC, Jan. 1 -- A high-fat diet does more than overload the liver with fat. New research from MIT shows that prolonged exposure to fatty foods can push liver cells into a survival mode that quietly raises the risk of cancer.

Faced with ongoing metabolic stress, these cells abandon their normal roles and revert to a more primitive state that helps them endure harsh conditions.

Over time, that shift leaves the liver less functional and far more vulnerable to tumour formation, helping explain why fatty liver disease so often precedes liver cancer.

A diet high in fat is one of the strongest contributors to liver cancer risk. New research from MIT sheds light on why this happens, showing that fatty diets can fundamentally alter liv...