Coffee protects against liver disease

People who drink coffee have a lesser risk of developing liver cancer. Drinking coffee has a favourable effect on liver function and liver diseases, including liver enzymes, cirrhosis, and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC or liver cancer). There are certain compounds in coffee like diterpenes, cafestol, and kahweol which act as blocking agents via modulation of multiple enzymes involved in carcinogenic detoxification. Coffee drinking has also been linked to a lower risk of cirrhosis of the liver and chronic liver disease, which are the major risk factors for HCC. To assess the relationship between coffee and liver function, researchers at the from Milan's Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche, analysed data from 10 studies conducted in Europe and Japan that included 2,260 cases of HCC. The results indicated a 41 percent reduction in the risk of liver cancer among coffee drinkers compared to those who never drank coffee. Low to moderate coffee drinkers - defined as those who drank 1 cup a day or less than 3 cups per day - had a 30 percent lower risk of HCC compared to coffee abstainers. High coffee consumption – defined as 3 cups or more each day - had a 55 percent lower risk of HCC. Thus, people who drink coffee may be reducing their risk of liver cancer, although the reasons for the apparent protective effect of coffee remain to be determined.