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- A new study has found that coffee consumption is associated with a reduced risk of chronic liver disease.
- Researchers are learning about the impact of coffee on the liver.
- They suspect that the health benefits can be attributed to the anti-inflammatory or anti-fibrotic properties of coffee.
New research from the UK has found that coffee consumption is associated with a reduced risk of chronic liver disease and other liver health problems.
the study, which published in the journal BMC Public Health on June 22, found that coffee drinkers had a 21% reduced risk of liver disease and a 49% lower risk of death from chronic liver disease.
The health benefits seemed to peak around four cups of coffee per day and were more pronounced in people who drank ground coffee than those who drank instant coffee.
This study adds to growing evidence that coffee appears to be beneficial for liver health.
Researchers are still learning how coffee might fight liver disease, but they suspect that’s because the popular drink has anti-inflammatory or anti-fibrotic properties.
The researchers evaluated the health data of 495,585 people who were followed for an average of 10 years.
Among the group, 78 percent consumed caffeinated ground coffee, instant coffee or decaffeinated coffee, and 22 percent did not consume coffee.
Throughout the study, there were 3,600 cases of chronic liver disease or steatosis, an accumulation of fat in the liver.
There were also 184 cases of hepatocellular carcinoma, a cancer of the liver.
The coffee drinkers in the study had a 21% reduced risk of developing chronic liver disease and a 20% lower risk of fatty liver disease.
Study participants who drank coffee also had a 49% reduced risk of dying from chronic liver disease.
The health benefits were most pronounced in those who drank caffeinated ground coffee. Although instant coffee and decaffeinated coffee have been associated with health benefits, ground coffee had the most significant effects.
According to researchers, ground coffee contains the highest levels of kahweol and cafestol, two ingredients believed to protect against liver disease.
The health benefits leveled off at four to five cups of coffee per day.
Researchers say coffee could potentially be used as an affordable and accessible way to help reduce the risk of developing liver disease.
“Although also shown in previous studies, this article appears to provide the most convincing to date that coffee consumption is associated with decreased liver-related mortality in a large population-based cohort,” a declared Dr Joseph Lim, Yale Medicine hepatologist and professor at the Yale School of Medicine.
This study adds to growing evidence that coffee is beneficial for the liver, according to Dr Albert Do, hepatologist at Yale Medicine, clinical director of the fatty liver disease program and associate professor at Yale University.
“There are previous studies suggesting a lower risk of cirrhosis (severe scarring of the liver), improvements in fatty liver disease, lower hospitalization and mortality rates in cirrhosis, associated with coffee consumption,” said declared Do.
Many studies have shown that coffee consumption is linked to lower levels of liver enzymes.
Most of the time, high levels of liver enzymes are not a cause for concern, but they can be a sign of inflammation or liver damage.
Another vast
According to Dr Tamar Taddei, Yale Medicine hepatologist and associate professor at the Yale School of Medicine, it’s difficult to determine how and why coffee can fight liver disease.
“It may have anti-inflammatory or anti-fibrotic properties, the two main and interrelated pathways of liver disease and liver cancer,” Taddei said.
There may also be other contributing factors at play that have not yet been identified.
More research is needed to explore how coffee – as well as how it is made – can improve health outcomes for people with liver problems.
“We need to learn a lot more about the components of coffee and the parts of the coffee making process – from bean to cup – that are beneficial,” Taddei said.
Do, who cares for patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, recommends one to two cups of caffeinated black coffee per day.
People who develop heartburn or gastrointestinal problems should adjust their intake based on what they can tolerate.
Additionally, people with severe heart disease or high blood pressure should avoid excess coffee if it makes their condition worse.
“While individuals should continue to feel reassured that they can continue to drink coffee at current levels, I would not suggest increasing levels of consumption for the purpose of improving liver outcomes,” Lim said.
A new study has found that coffee consumption is associated with a reduced risk of chronic liver disease and other liver health problems.
Researchers are still studying the impact of coffee on the liver, but they suspect that the health benefits may be attributed to coffee’s anti-inflammatory or anti-fibrotic properties.
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