Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a condition where fat builds up in your liver, and it’s not caused by drinking alcohol. Rather, it’s often due to poor lifestyle choices like eating a high-calorie diet and not exercising.
The disease can lead to severe liver issues down the line, including scarring and even liver cancer.
What makes it even more concerning is that it’s commonly found in people who are overweight and have type 2 diabetes (T2D).
Coffee to the Rescue?
A recent study from the University of Coimbra offers good news, especially for coffee lovers.
The researchers found that certain ingredients in coffee, such as caffeine and polyphenols, might help lessen the severity of NAFLD in overweight people who also have T2D.
The study involved 156 middle-aged participants who were borderline obese. Of these, 98 had T2D. Rather than relying on what people said about their coffee drinking habits, the researchers went a step further.
They analyzed the participants’ urine to get an accurate picture of how much coffee they consumed.
Here’s what they discovered: People who had higher levels of caffeine and other coffee components in their urine also had healthier livers.
Specifically, those with higher caffeine levels were less likely to have liver fibrosis, a condition that can lead to liver scarring.
Additionally, the presence of non-caffeine components in coffee was linked to lower levels of fat in the liver.
The study suggests that these coffee ingredients may not only help prevent liver scarring but may also reduce oxidative stress, which harms the liver.
Plus, they might even help with blood sugar control, which is crucial for people with type 2 diabetes.
Why This Matters
John Griffith Jones, the lead researcher of the study, pointed out that as more people become overweight and develop type 2 diabetes, the rates of NAFLD are also rising.
This poses a significant challenge for healthcare systems, as treating these interconnected conditions isn’t easy.
This research is groundbreaking because it’s the first to show that higher levels of both caffeine and non-caffeine components from coffee could be linked to less severe NAFLD in overweight people with type 2 diabetes.
It offers a ray of hope, showing that something as simple and enjoyable as drinking coffee might be beneficial for liver health.
While this doesn’t mean you should start guzzling down pots of coffee, it does suggest that moderate coffee consumption could be a part of a healthy lifestyle, especially for those who are overweight and have type 2 diabetes.
Of course, it’s always a good idea to talk to your doctor before making any changes to your diet, particularly if you have existing health conditions.
If you care about liver health, please read studies about a diet that can treat fatty liver disease and obesity, and coffee drinkers may halve their risk of liver cancer.
For more information about liver health, please see recent studies that an anti-inflammatory diet could help prevent fatty liver disease, and results showing vitamin D could help prevent non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.
The study was published in Nutrients.
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