A new study, published in the journal Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology, examined whether coffee may play a role in maintaining liver health.
The researchers followed more than 355,000 healthy adults for approximately 13 years.
Participants answered questions about their diet and drinking habits, and the researchers compared their responses with information about their health, according to HealthDay.
More signs of a healthy liver
MRI scans showed that people who drank coffee had, on average, less fat, inflammation, and scarring in the liver. Blood tests also indicated better liver function.
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According to the researchers, the association was observed for both regular and decaffeinated coffee. This may suggest that compounds other than caffeine contribute to the effect.
However, the researchers emphasize that more studies are needed to determine the exact explanation.
Lower Risk
The study found that people with higher coffee consumption had a lower risk of developing serious liver disease.
Those who drank five or more cups per day had a 32 percent lower risk of cirrhosis, a 47 percent lower risk of liver cancer, and a 42 percent lower risk of dying from liver disease compared with people who drank less coffee.
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However, the researchers do not recommend that people start drinking that much coffee.
According to the study, the potential benefit was already apparent with one to two cups per day, while the strongest association was observed among those who drank three to four cups daily.
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