Recent research reveals that drinking coffee may help prevent liver cancer

Analysis of data from 26 studies has found that people who drink more coffee, even the decaffeinated varieties are less likely to develop liver cancer.

The research showed that for people who drank two or more cups of coffee each day, the risk of hepatocellular cancer was reduced by 35% compared to those who drunk no coffee at all.

The researchers discovered that people who drink more coffee are less likely to develop hepatocellular cancer (HCC), which is the most common form of primary cancer. This type of cancer occurs more often in men than women and it is usually diagnosed in people aged 50 or over.

Experts from the Universities of Southampton and Edinburgh analysed the data collected from a total of 26 studies involving more than 2.25 million participants!   They discovered that people who drunk at least one cup of coffee a day had a 20% lower risk of developing hepatocellular cancer compared with those who drunk no coffee. People who drunk two cups of coffee a day had a 35% reduced risk of developing the cancer and for the people who drank five cups a day, their risk was halved. The protective effect for decaffeinated coffee was smaller and less certain.

The authors of the research stated, “It may be important for developing coffee as a lifestyle intervention in chronic liver disease, as decaffeinated coffee might be more acceptable to those who do not drink coffee or who limit their coffee consumption because of caffeine-related symptoms.”

Please note: Up to 400 milligrammes (mg) of caffeine a day appears to be safe for most healthy adults. That’s roughly the amount of caffeine in four cups of brewed coffee. There is evidence that heavy caffeine use can cause unpleasant side effects and caffeine should be avoided by certain groups of people including pregnant women.

For more details regarding the research, please click here.