Study links coffee drinking to lower liver disease risks
Cedars-Sinai researchers found coffee intake was associated with lower liver risks and biological markers tied to less scarring and inflammation.
By Tom Brennan · Health & Medicine Correspondent
3 min read
Coffee drinking was associated with lower risks of cirrhosis, liver cancer and liver-related death in a large Cedars-Sinai Health Sciences University study. The findings matter because researchers also reported MRI and blood-protein clues that may help explain why coffee has repeatedly been tied to better liver outcomes.
The study, published in Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology, analyzed UK Biobank data from 354,957 adults who did not have cirrhosis or liver cancer when the research period began. Cedars-Sinai investigators followed participants for a median of 13 years and used linked health records to track new liver disease diagnoses and deaths related to liver conditions.
Compared with participants who did not drink coffee, those reporting five or more cups a day had a 32% lower risk of cirrhosis, a 47% lower risk of liver cancer and a 42% lower risk of liver-related death, according to Cedars-Sinai. The researchers said risk generally fell as reported coffee intake rose.
The team also found signs of healthier liver tissue among coffee drinkers. MRI scans showed lower liver fat, liver iron, fibrosis and inflammation in people who drank more coffee, according to the study.
Blood analyses pointed in the same direction. Cedars-Sinai said coffee drinkers had higher levels of proteins associated with healthy liver function and lower levels of proteins linked to scarring and inflammation.
Hyunseok Kim, a Cedars-Sinai hepatologist and corresponding author of the study, said prior research had suggested a liver benefit from coffee, but many studies were smaller or examined fewer measures. Kim said the new work combined long-term health outcomes with imaging and protein data to shed light on possible biological mechanisms.
The researchers said benefits appeared even among people who drank one to two cups per day, with the strongest association around three to four cups daily. Although the highest-intake group also showed lower risks, the investigators said they are not advising people to raise consumption to five or more cups a day for liver protection.
The study found similar associations for caffeinated and decaffeinated coffee. Cedars-Sinai said that pattern suggests caffeine is unlikely to be the only relevant factor and that other compounds naturally found in coffee may play a role.
The researchers cautioned that the study was observational, meaning it cannot prove coffee prevents liver disease. Ju Dong Yang, senior author and medical director of the Liver Cancer Program at Cedars-Sinai, said the findings support moderate coffee intake for people who already drink it and tolerate it, while liver disease prevention should still focus on healthy weight, limited alcohol use, regular exercise and control of blood sugar, blood pressure and cholesterol.
Cedars-Sinai also said some people should check with a clinician before increasing coffee intake, including those with uncontrolled high blood pressure, certain heart rhythm disorders, severe anxiety, insomnia or medical conditions requiring caffeine limits.
Shelly Lu, director of the Karsh Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology at Cedars-Sinai, said the researchers next aim to identify which coffee compounds may be tied to the liver-protective associations. Lu said the findings point to pathways involving inflammation and scarring that warrant further study.
This story draws on original reporting from Medical Xpress.