A new study has found that drinking coffee is associated with a lower risk of developing serious liver diseases, with researchers reporting that regular coffee drinkers were less likely to develop cirrhosis, liver cancer, or die from liver-related illness than people who did not drink coffee.
The research, carried out by scientists at Cedars-Sinai Health Sciences University and published in Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology, followed nearly 355,000 adults in the United Kingdom for more than 13 years. All of the participants were free of liver cancer and cirrhosis when the study began.
Researchers compared the health of coffee drinkers with people who did not drink coffee, and examined liver scans and blood samples to better understand how coffee might be linked to liver health.
The study found that people who drank coffee were generally less likely to develop liver disease. Those who drank five or more cups a day had a 32 per cent lower risk of cirrhosis, a 47 per cent lower risk of liver cancer and a 42 per cent lower risk of dying from liver disease than non-coffee drinkers.
Researchers also found signs of healthier livers among coffee drinkers. Their liver scans showed lower levels of fat, scarring and inflammation, while blood tests pointed to healthier liver function.
"Previous studies suggested that coffee might benefit the liver, but most were smaller or looked at only one piece of the puzzle," said Dr Hyunseok Kim, the study’s author and an assistant professor of medicine at Cedars-Sinai.
"We followed hundreds of thousands of people for more than a decade and looked at their health outcomes along with liver MRI scans and blood protein analyses. Together, those findings help explain the biological mechanisms behind coffee's association with better liver health."
The benefits were not limited to heavy coffee drinkers. People who drank one or two cups a day also appeared to have a lower risk of liver disease, with the strongest link seen among those drinking about three to four cups daily.
The study also found similar results among people who drank decaffeinated coffee, suggesting that substances other than caffeine may be responsible for the health benefits.
However, the researchers warned that the study does not prove coffee prevents liver disease. Instead, it shows a link between coffee drinking and better liver health.
"Our findings support moderate coffee consumption for people who already enjoy and tolerate it well," said Dr Ju Dong Yang, medical director of the Liver Cancer Programme at Cedars-Sinai.
"We would not recommend that someone begin drinking coffee solely for liver protection based on this study alone. Prevention should continue to focus on maintaining a healthy weight, limiting alcohol, exercising regularly, and managing blood sugar, blood pressure and cholesterol."
The researchers now plan to identify the specific natural compounds in coffee that may be responsible for the benefits seen in the study.
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