Drinking coffee may lower liver cirrhosis risk

by Stepy — February 24, 2016

Drinking coffee may lower liver cirrhosis risk, according to a new review of existing studies.

According to WebMD:

Cirrhosis is a slowly progressing disease in which healthy liver tissue is replaced with scar tissue, eventually preventing the liver from functioning properly. The scar tissue blocks the flow of blood through the liver and slows the processing of nutrients, hormones, drugs, and naturally produced toxins. It also slows the production of proteins and other substances made by the liver.

Researchers analyzed data from 9 existing studies that included a total of over 430,000 participants. They found that two extra cups of coffee a day was linked to a 44 percent lower risk of liver cirrhosis.

“Cirrhosis is potentially fatal and there is no cure as such,” said lead study author Dr. Oliver Kennedy of Southampton University in the U.K. “Therefore, it is significant that the risk of developing cirrhosis may be reduced by consumption of coffee, a cheap, ubiquitous and well-tolerated beverage.”

The studies had a combined 1,990 patients with cirrhosis.

In 8 of the 9 studies, coffee was associated with a significantly lower risk of cirrhosis. With every increase of daily cups of coffee, cirrhosis risk declined.

Researchers estimated a 22 percent lower risk of cirrhosis with one daily cup of coffee, 43 percent with two cups of coffee, 57 percent with three cups, and 65 with four.

Kennedy does warn that although the results are promising, this does not mean that specialty sugar coffee drinks or coffee loaded with sugar will provide these same benefits.

It is important to drink organic coffee, as coffee is one of the more common crops that are sprayed with pesticides.

The study showing that drinking coffee may lower liver cirrhosis risk was published in the journal Alimentary Pharmacology & Therapeutics.

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REFERENCES:
1. “Drinking Coffee Linked To Lower Rates Of Liver Cirrhosis.” The Huffington Post. HuffingtonPost.com, n.d. Web. 22 Feb. 2016.
2. “Systematic Review with Meta-analysis: Coffee Consumption and the Risk of Cirrhosis.” Wiley Online Library. Alimentary Pharmacology & Therapeutics, n.d. Web. 22 Feb. 2016.
3. “Cirrhosis of the Liver Stages, Causes, Symptoms, Treatments.” WebMD. WebMD, n.d. Web. 22 Feb. 2016.