Thai dish, one serving of which can lead to liver cancer (3 photos)

Traditional Thai cuisine is rich and varied: from the famous Pad Thai to green or red curry. However, it is worth noting that there is a dish that can cause serious harm to health. Even a small amount of the delicacy can cause liver cancer. Every year, 20,000 residents of Thailand become victims of it.





Although you are unlikely to find this dish on the menu of a Thai restaurant or in a supermarket, it is popular in the provinces of Khon Kaen and Isan.

The delicacy known as Koi Pla is chopped raw fish with herbs, spices and lemon juice, and many Thais eat it every day. Of course, the dangerous ingredient is the fish, which is often infected with a parasitic worm called a fluke. The parasite causes inflammation that can lead to liver cancer.



Isan has the world's highest incidence of cholangiocarcinoma, or a malignant tumor made up of mutated bile duct cells.

Dr. Narong Khuntikeo's parents died of liver cancer after eating the dish.

"It's a big threat to people's health. But no one knows about it because they die quietly, like leaves falling from a tree," the surgeon said.

The survival rate for patients with this type of cancer is almost zero.

Khuntikeo, along with doctors and scientists, has been testing villagers in the Isan region for the parasite for years.

The team has found through ultrasounds and tests that up to 80% of the community's residents have the deadly parasite in their bodies.



Khuntikeo tries to spread the word about the dangers of Koi Pla, but is met with misunderstanding. This is despite schools educating children about the risks of eating raw food.

"The older generation says you can die without fish. But I can't accept that answer," Narong added.

Koi Pla lovers refuse to cook the dish because it spoils the taste.