Is Coffee Good For Your Liver?

Is coffee good for your liver? Several population-based studies have associated coffee drinking with reduced risks of liver problems. Chemical compounds found in the coffee brew might reach up to a thousand. Some of them are thought to have protective effects on your liver.

Contents

According to a large study, drinking coffee can reduce the risk of liver problems. This beverage can also lower the risk of chronic liver disease, fatty liver disease, liver cancer, and dying from chronic liver disease.

Coffee of any type, including decaffeinated coffee, can protect your liver against diseases. Of all variations, ground coffee presents the most pronounced effects.

Drinking Coffee Can Reduce The Risk Of Liver Disease

A Study With The UK Biobank Health Data

There have been scattering studies into the benefits of coffee for liver health. Among them, the most convincing is a study analyzing the UK BioBank data. The researchers had tracked 494,585 people for more than ten years.

Of the sample, 78 percent were coffee drinkers. The remaining 22 percent were non-coffee drinkers.

Throughout the entire period, there were:

3600 diagnoses of chronic liver disease;
301 liver-related deaths;
5439 cases of fatty liver disease or steatosis;
184 cases of hepatocellular carcinoma – a type of liver cancer.

Coffee appears to lower the risk of liver problems, as the findings show:

Participants who drank coffee were 21% less likely to develop chronic liver disease.
They also had a 20% reduced risk of fatty liver disease.
Their risk of hepatocellular carcinoma was 21% lower than non-coffee drinkers.
Coffee drinkers also lowered their risk of dying of liver disease by 49%.

According to the study, caffeinated ground coffee provided the greatest benefits. People who drank ground coffee lowered their risk of chronic liver disease to 35%. The figure is the same for fatty liver disease. These people were 61% less likely to die from liver-related diseases.

Other Studies On The Benefits Of Coffee For Liver Problems

According to a study published in Gastroenterology, consuming two or three cups a day lowered the risk of death from liver cancer by 38%. The risk of death from the chronic liver is also lowered by 46%.

Those consuming four or more cups reduced these risks, respectively, to 41% and 71%.

There is also a study published in Archives of Internal Medicine. It concluded that coffee helps to combat liver diseases.

This beverage helps to protect the liver against liver cirrhosis, especially alcoholic cirrhosis. Cirrhosis is a condition where scar tissues replace your liver.

Coffee And Liver Health

The question is, what makes coffee become the magical dose for liver disease? Two compounds in coffee – cafestol and kahweol are believed to help protect human livers against diseases.

There might be other substances responsible for the protective effects against liver diseases. We need more research into the components of coffee, and the making, from bean to cup, to pinpoint why coffee can fight disease in the liver.

Should You Drink More Coffee For Your Liver Health?

The same study found that people consuming three to four cups a day saw the greatest benefits. Coffee is safe for normal, healthy adults. Thus, increasing coffee consumption can do wonders for your health.

Yet, you should not exceed 400 milligrams, according to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recommendation. This amount equates to four or five cups of coffee. Over-consuming can cause negative and even dangerous effects.

Besides, the benefits of coffee for liver health start to level off at four or five cups. It means that it makes no sense to consume too much coffee to prevent liver diseases.

Pay attention to the coffee consumption in these cases:

Coffee can cause heartburn or reflux symptoms. You should know your tolerance and adjust accordingly. Try a few different varieties of coffee to decide which one suits your body most.
Drink coffee with caution if you have high blood pressure or cardiac disease.
People with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease should drink one to two cups of coffee per day.

Other Benefits Of Drinking Coffee

Coffee contains caffeine, which helps to boost energy levels;
Lower the risk of type 2 diabetes;
Protect against Parkinson’s disease;
Prevent heart failure or stroke;
Coffee beans contain antioxidants. They help to get rid of free radicals, which can cause inflammation in your body;
Besides liver cancer, coffee also provides protective effects against colorectal cancer;
Lower the risk of depression;

Conclusion

Is coffee good for your liver? There is a link between coffee drinking and positive liver health conditions.

We still need more research to know how this bitter, aromatic beverage can be beneficial to our liver. But until then, you can feel reassured that coffee is safe for your liver as long as you don’t overdrink it.

Coffee brings several health benefits to your liver. Yet, it cannot reverse any liver damage caused by excessive alcohol consumption or destructive eating habits.

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