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Coffee may lower risk for liver disease, cancer
CNN • • general
Key Points:
- A large study of over 354,000 participants followed for more than a decade found that drinking coffee, including five or more cups daily, is associated with a significantly lower risk of liver disease, liver cancer, and liver-related death.
- The protective effect appears linked to coffee’s antioxidants rather than caffeine, as similar benefits were observed in decaffeinated coffee drinkers.
- Drinking one to two cups daily was associated with about a 20-31% reduced risk of liver issues, while five or more cups correlated with up to a 47% lower risk of liver cancer and 42% lower odds of liver-related death.
- The study noted that adding sugar or artificial sweeteners slightly reduced these benefits and may elevate liver inflammation markers, so moderation of sweeteners is advised.
- Limitations include reliance on coffee intake measured only twice over a decade, a predominantly European and health-conscious cohort, and the need for further validation in more diverse populations.
