A new study just published in the journal Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism (APNM) reaffirms the crucial role exercise combined with good nutrition play in maintaining health and fighting disease.

"Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the fifth most frequent cancer worldwide, ranking third among all cancer-related deaths. Clinical and experimental studies have shown that physical exercise helps to prevent cancer and improving quality of life," says Dr. Luís Fernando Barbisan, a coauthor of this study and a researcher in the Department of Morphology at the Institute of Biosciences of São Paulo State University in Brazil. "This study is the first to demonstrate that there is a beneficial effect of exercise training against progression of liver carcinogenesis in rats fed a low-fat diet, but not in rats fed a high-fat diet. That high-fat diet regimen mimics the food habits of humans living in Western countries."

Dr. Terry Graham, editor of APNM, says, "The authors' findings are an important illustration of how both nutrition and activity levels impact on health issues. We often think that these lifestyle factors only influence good health but this work demonstrates that the quality of nutrition and the degree of activity both influence ill health in terms of the progression of liver cancer. This investigation highlights that we can dramatically alter our health status via exercise and nutrition."