Drinking 4 cups of coffee a day may help reduce the risk of chronic liver disease

The results of a study have shown that drinking 4 cups of coffee a day can help reduce the risk of chronic liver disease.

Researchers from the University of Southampton and the University of Edinburgh found that both caffeinated and decaffeinated coffee drinkers had a reduced risk of developing liver disease compared with non-coffee drinkers.

Research shows that the maximum reduction in the risk of developing liver diseases is achieved by drinking 3 to 4 cups of coffee per day. Scientists found that regular coffee consumption reduced the risk of chronic liver disease by 21%, the risk of chronic fatty liver disease by 20% and the risk of dying from liver disease by 49%.

Drinking 4 cups of coffee a day may help reduce the risk of chronic liver disease

Drinking 4 cups of coffee a day may help reduce the risk of chronic liver disease / ph: pexels

These benefits have been demonstrated in people who drink ground coffee containing high levels of Kahweol and cafestol. Both of the above ingredients have advantages against chronic liver disease in humans and animals. Instant coffee may also reduce the risk of liver disease, but to a lesser extent than ground coffee drinkers.

Dr Oliver Kennedy, lead author of the study, said: "Coffee is widely consumed, and with the benefits of coffee that we discovered from our research, consumers can be well-informed a potential treatment and prevention for chronic liver disease, which would be particularly useful in low-income countries where access to health care is poorer, while the burden on chronic liver disease is higher.

Dr Kennedy and his colleagues studied the UK's Biobank data on 495,585 participants. These people were followed for about 10 years to see who developed liver problems. 78% of these (384,818 people) drank ground or instant coffee or decaffeinated coffee, while the remaining 22% (109,767 people) drank no coffee at all.

During the study period, there were 3,600 cases of chronic liver disease, of which 301 died.

The researchers cautioned that, while participants were only asked about their coffee consumption at one point in time and then monitored for health, coffee consumption was reported only when the participants were first enrolled in the study. The study did not account for any changes in the amount or type of coffee they consumed during the study period.

The study added that the study participants were mostly white and had a high socio-economic background. Therefore, this finding may not be generalizable to other countries or populations.

According to the British Liver Trust (UK), the number of deaths from liver disease has increased by 400% since 1970 and every day, more than 40 people in the UK die from the disease.