Can cadmium from food and cigarettes cause liver disease?

What's actually in it

Cadmium is a heavy metal that enters food through contaminated soil. Root vegetables, leafy greens, rice, and wheat absorb cadmium from agricultural land. Cigarette smoke is another major source. Once in your body, cadmium accumulates in organs for decades, with the liver being a primary target.

Fatty liver disease (NAFLD and MASH) is affecting more people every year. Environmental toxins like cadmium may be contributing to this trend alongside diet and alcohol.

What the research says

A 2026 study in Environmental Toxicology and Pharmacology examined how cadmium drives liver damage in people with metabolic liver disease. Cadmium was found to disrupt mitochondrial function in liver cells, impairing their ability to produce energy and detoxify substances. The damage was especially severe in liver cells already stressed by excess fat accumulation.

The research found that cadmium activated pro-inflammatory and cell-death pathways in liver tissue at concentrations seen in people with typical cadmium exposure, not just in industrial workers.

A separate 2026 study in Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety found that cadmium interacts with other metals (arsenic, lead) in ways that worsen kidney and liver outcomes together. Reducing cadmium exposure through dietary choices like eating varied grains instead of rice daily can lower accumulated liver cadmium over time.