Liver cancer
Supplements studied for liver cancer.
Overview
Supplement evidence for liver cancer is mostly limited across 15 studies. Branched Chain Amino Acids (BCAAs) do not appear to improve survival or reduce recurrence in most studies, though a small trial suggested possible benefit before and after certain treatments in people not needing surgery.
Green Tea shows mixed preventive associations, with some studies linking heavy intake to lower risk especially in women. Red Yeast Rice and Selenium have preliminary preventive data, while Vitamin A does not appear to affect liver cancer risk. See the heatmap and evidence reviews below for details.
Effect graph
Relevant supplements
Relevant supplements sorted by DEX Score.
| Green Tea | ★★★★★ | Low |
| Vitamin K | ★★★★★ | Low |
| Selenium | ★★★★★ | Low |
| Red Yeast Rice | ★★★★★ | Low |
| Branched Chain Amino Acids (BCAAs) | ★★★★★ | Very Low / None |
| Vitamin A | ★★★★★ | Very Low / None |
| Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin) | ★★★★★ | Very Low / None |
Studies
Find individual evidence reviews for supplements sorted by DEX Score.
7 supplements for and rated at least stars. All purchase bands. No minimum star filter.
Green TeaView supplement →
Reconsider purchase·★★★★★
How we scored this▸
- It is unclear if drinking green tea helps prevent liver cancer.
- Some studies show that people who drink a lot of green tea, about four cups or more daily, may have a lower risk of liver cancer.
- Women seem to benefit more than men.
- One large study found women who drank a lot of green tea had less liver cancer.
- But some studies from Japan found no benefit.
- Overall, the evidence does not clearly show that green tea prevents liver cancer.
Browse 5 studies·3 meta-analyses
MetaCoffee, Green Tea Intake, and the Risk of Hepatocellular Carcinoma: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Observational Studies2023n=647
A meta-analysis of 32 observational studies found higher coffee and green tea intake each associated with lower hepatocellular carcinoma risk.
- Effect
- Benefit
- Participants
- 647
ObservationalCumulative consumption of tea is associated with lower risk of liver cancer: Updated results from the Shanghai Women's Health Study2023
In the Shanghai Women's Health Study, greater cumulative tea consumption was associated with lower primary liver cancer risk in middle-aged Chinese women.
- Effect
- Benefit
- Population
- Women
MetaGreen tea (Camellia sinensis) for the prevention of cancer2020n=1,795
A Cochrane review found very low-certainty evidence that green tea may reduce some cancer risks, with no clear effect on overall cancer incidence.
- Effect
- Benefit
- Participants
- 1,795
MetaGreen tea and liver cancer risk: A meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies in Asian populations2016n=465,274
A meta-analysis of Asian prospective cohorts (465,274 participants) suggested higher green tea consumption linked to lower liver cancer risk.
- Effect
- Benefit
- Population
- Adults
- Participants
- 465,274
MetaTea consumption and the risk of five major cancers: a dose-response meta-analysis of prospective studies2014n=702
A dose-response meta-analysis of prospective studies found higher tea consumption associated with lower breast, colorectal, and liver cancer risk, but not prostate or stomach cancer.
- Effect
- No Benefit
- Participants
- 702
Vitamin KView supplement →
Reconsider purchase·★★★★★
How we scored this▸
- Small studies suggest that vitamin K2 may help lower the chance of liver cancer coming back and reduces the risk of death from liver cancer.
- In people who could have cancer surgery, taking 45 mg of vitamin K2 every day for up to 3 years reduced cancer recurrence by about 10% and death by 7% compared to those who did not take it.
- In people who could not have surgery, taking vitamin K2 lowered cancer recurrence by 3% and death risk by 16% over up to 2 years.
- Most studies were done in Japan, so it is not clear if this applies everywhere.
Browse 1 study·1 meta-analysis
MetaThe Efficacy of Vitamin K, A Member Of Naphthoquinones in the Treatment of Cancer: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis2021
In a meta-analysis, our analysis suggested that the clinical outcome of efficacy, the pooled hazard ratio for progression-free survival, and the pooled relative risk for overall survival, and overall response were significantly higher in the VitK therapy group compared to the placebo group (p<0.05).
- Effect
- Benefit
SeleniumView supplement →
Reconsider purchase·★★★★★
How we scored this▸
- Early studies from China indicate that taking selenium supplements daily for several years might lower the risk of liver cancer.
- It is not known if selenium has the same effect in people living in Western countries.
Browse 1 study
RCTA preliminary report on the intervention trials of primary liver cancer in high-risk populations with nutritional supplementation of selenium in China1991
Three Chinese liver cancer prevention trials found selenium-fortified salt or selenized yeast supplementation significantly reduced primary liver cancer incidence in high-risk populations.
- Effect
- Benefit
Branched Chain Amino Acids (BCAAs)View supplement →
Reconsider purchase·★★★★★
How we scored this▸
- Taking branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) by mouth does not seem to help people with liver cancer live longer, reduce the chance the cancer comes back, or prevent common complications after liver surgery.
- Most studies show no clear benefits from taking BCAAs regularly for years.
- However, a small study found that for people with liver cancer not needing surgery, taking a special BCAA supplement before and after certain treatments might lower the chance the cancer returns and help patients stay cancer-free longer.
- This study had many people drop out, so more research is needed to confirm these results.
- BCAAs may help improve nutrition and liver function in patients with liver disease and might help certain cancer treatments work better, but there is not enough strong evidence to recommend BCAAs for liver cancer as standard treatment.
Browse 5 studies·1 meta-analysis
RCTEffects of branched-chain amino acids on postoperative tumor recurrence in patients undergoing curative resection for hepatocellular carcinoma: A randomized clinical trial2020n=156
An RCT of 156 HCC patients after hepatic resection found oral BCAA (Livact) did not improve overall recurrence-free survival, though younger patients with HbA1c <6.4% may benefit.
- Effect
- No Benefit
- Population
- HCC patients
- Participants
- 156
RCTEffects of branched-chain amino acid supplementation after radiofrequency ablation for hepatocellular carcinoma: A randomized trial2017n=25
An RCT of 51 cirrhotic HCC patients after radiofrequency ablation found oral BCAA lowered intrahepatic recurrence and improved mental health scores versus standard care.
- Effect
- Benefit
- Population
- Patients with cirrhosis
- Participants
- 25
RCTA randomized clinical trial of preoperative administration of branched-chain amino acids to prevent postoperative ascites in patients with liver resection for hepatocellular carcinoma2016n=77
An RCT of 77 liver resection patients found 3 weeks of preoperative oral BCAA did not cut refractory ascites alone but reduced combined ascites or pleural effusion (5.1% vs 21.1%).
- Effect
- No Benefit
- Duration
- 3 weeks
- Population
- HCC patients
- Participants
- 77
MetaPre-, peri-, and postoperative oral administration of branched-chain amino acids for primary liver cancer patients for hepatic resection: a systematic review2014
A meta-analysis of 3 perioperative BCAA liver-cancer RCTs found no significant benefit for recurrence or survival, though supplementation appeared safe.
- Effect
- No Benefit
- Population
- Primary liver cancer patients
RCTLong-term oral administration of branched-chain amino acids after curative resection of hepatocellular carcinoma: a prospective randomized trial (The San-in Group of Liver Surgery)1997n=75
An RCT of 150 post-HCC resection patients found 100 g/day oral BCAA for 1 year improved albumin and performance status in Child B/C disease but did not change recurrence or survival.
- Effect
- Benefit
- Duration
- 1 year
- Dose
- 100 g/day
- Population
- Patients with cirrhosis
- Participants
- 75
Red Yeast RiceView supplement →
Reconsider purchase·★★★★★
How we scored this▸
- In a large study in Taiwan, people who took red yeast rice (LipoCol Forte) twice daily for at least a year had about a 9% lower chance of getting liver cancer than people who didn’t take it.
- The longer they took it, the lower their risk, with the smallest risk seen after six years.
- More research is needed to be sure if red yeast rice really helps prevent liver cancer.
Browse 1 study
ObservationalLipoCol Forte capsules reduce the risk of liver cancer: A propensity score-matched, nationwide, population-based cohort study2023
In a propensity-matched Taiwanese cohort, LipoCol Forte red yeast rice prescription was associated with lower liver cancer risk compared with matched non-users.
- Effect
- Benefit
- Population
- Adults
Vitamin AView supplement →
Do not purchase·★★★★★
How we scored this▸
- Research shows that taking vitamin A supplements or having higher vitamin A levels in the blood does not affect the risk of liver cancer.
- Vitamin A is not proven to help prevent liver cancer.
Browse 1 study·1 meta-analysis
MetaA systematic review and meta-analysis of the association between vitamin A intake, serum vitamin A, and risk of liver cancer2018n=5
A meta-analysis of 5 studies found that the meta-analysis of five studies showed no association between serum retinol and liver cancer (pooled risk ratio = 1.90 (0.40-9.02); n = 5 studies, I 2 = 92%).
- Effect
- No Benefit
- Population
- Adults
- Participants
- 5
Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin)View supplement →
Do not purchase·★★★★★
How we scored this▸
- It is not clear if taking riboflavin (vitamin B2) by itself helps prevent liver cancer.
- A study in Chinese adults found that taking riboflavin along with niacin did not lower the risk of dying from liver cancer in people older than 55.
- But in those younger than 55, the combination seemed to reduce this risk.
Browse 1 study
RCTChemoprevention of primary liver cancer: a randomized, double-blind trial in Linxian, China2007n=151
A randomized trial of 151 healthy adults found that factor C reduced liver cancer death, albeit with only borderline statistical significance in males (HR = 0.70, 95% CI = 0.47 to 1.02) but not in females (HR = 1.30, 95% CI = 0.72 to 2.37).
- Effect
- No Benefit
- Population
- Healthy adults
- Participants
- 151
Evidence visualised
Same ratings as above, aggregated so you can see coverage and imbalance.
| Supplement | DEX | Studies | Meta-analyses | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Branched Chain Amino Acids (BCAAs) | ★★★★★40% | 5 | 1 | 33% |
| Green Tea | ★★★★★52% | 5 | 3 | 33% |
| Red Yeast Rice | ★★★★★40% | 1 | 0 | 7% |
| Selenium | ★★★★★44% | 1 | 0 | 7% |
| Vitamin A | ★★★★★36% | 1 | 1 | 7% |
| Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin) | ★★★★★32% | 1 | 0 | 7% |
| Vitamin K | ★★★★★48% | 1 | 1 | 7% |