Any type of coffee may lower risk of chronic liver disease

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In a study from the Universities of Southampton and Edinburgh, scientists found drinking coffee that is caffeinated (ground or instant) or decaffeinated is associated with a reduced risk of developing chronic liver disease and related liver conditions.

They found that drinking any type of coffee was linked to a reduced risk of developing and dying from the chronic liver disease compared to not drinking coffee, with the benefit peaking at three to four cups per day.

In the study, the team used UK Biobank data on 495,585 participants with known coffee consumption, who were followed over a median of 10.7 years to monitor who developed chronic liver disease and related liver conditions.

Of all participants included in the study, 78% (384,818) consumed ground or instant caffeinated or decaffeinated coffee, while 22% (109,767) did not drink any type of coffee.

During the study period, there were 3,600 cases of chronic liver disease, including 301 deaths.

Additionally, there were 5,439 cases of chronic liver disease or steatosis (a build of up fat in the liver also known as fatty liver disease), and 184 cases of Hepatocellular carcinoma, a type of liver cancer.

The team found that compared to non-coffee drinkers, coffee-drinkers had a 21% reduced risk of chronic liver disease, a 20% reduced risk of chronic or fatty liver disease, and a 49% reduced risk of death from chronic liver disease.

The maximum benefit was seen in the group who drank ground coffee, which contains high levels of the ingredients Kahweol and cafestol, which have been shown to be beneficial against chronic liver disease in animals.

Instant coffee, which has low levels of Kahweol and cafestol was also linked to a reduced risk of chronic liver disease.

While the reduction in risk was smaller than that associated with ground coffee, the finding may suggest that other ingredients, or potentially a combination of ingredients, may be beneficial.

The team says coffee is widely accessible and could offer a potential preventative treatment for chronic liver disease.

This would be especially valuable in countries with lower income and worse access to healthcare and where the burden of chronic liver disease is highest.

If you care about liver health, please read studies about the cause of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, and this drug for addiction may help treat alcohol-related liver disease.

For more information about liver disease, please see recent studies about a new way to treat alcohol-associated liver disease, and results showing this stuff in vegetables may help fight fatty liver disease.

The study was conducted by Dr. Oliver Kennedy et al and published in BMC Public Health.

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