According to Business Insider, a team of researchers from Southampton University in the United Kingdom “analyzed data from nine previously published studies with a total of more than 430,000 participants and found that drinking two additional cups of coffee a day was linked to a 44% lower risk of developing liver cirrhosis”. Their analysis found that consuming two more cups of coffee per day was linked to a 44 percent reduction in the risk of developing cirrhosis.
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As Inverse pointed out, liver cirrhosis has been known to be the cause of up to a million deaths annually worldwide. By extrapolating the number of cups of coffee consumed every day by the 1,900 participants, as well as their tendency towards developing cirrhosis, the scientists came up with some pretty interesting numbers. This ranged from a 22% decrease for a single cup of coffee per day, to a whopping 65% decreased risk for four daily cups of coffee.
Let’s take a moment to appreciate the hot brewed bean water that wakes us up each morning-that delicious conveyor of caffeine without which many of us would revert to dysfunctional zombies-coffee.
Dr Oliver Kennedy of Southampton University said that while the study is encouraging, it’s important to remember there is no cure as such for cirrhosis.
But the results still leave some unresolved questions. And when these researchers say coffee, they don’t mean caramel macchiatos or other speciality concoctions; boiled versus filtered coffee were tested in one study with filtered offering the greatest benefit.
And, while the studies accounted for alcohol consumption, not all them accounted for other cirrhosis risk factors like obesity and diabetes, the authors note in the journal Alimentary Pharmacology and Therapeutics, online January 25.
Despite the positive findings TheNew York Post wrote that the researchers are warning that persons should still be cautious in their alcohol and coffee intake as loading up on excessively sweet coffee beverages is not a good idea.
The study did not indicate how exactly coffee may keep a liver healthy.
“Coffee is a complex mixture containing hundreds of chemical compounds, and it is unknown which of these is responsible for protecting the liver”, Kennedy said.
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Experts also add that the powers of coffee, too, won’t be able to counteract poor lifestyle choices that severely batter and damage the liver, including alcoholism, being overweight, or following an unhealthy diet.
