Coffee May Protect Against Cirrhosis

According to the World Health Organization, liver cirrhosis is the 11th leading cause of death in the US. However, recent study results suggest that drinking two or more cups of coffee each day may dramatically reduce the risk of dying from non-viral related liver cirrhosis. Dr. Woon-Puay Koh from Duke-NUS Graduate Medical School Singapore and the National University of Singapore, and colleagues analysed data from the Singapore Chinese Health Study. A study of 63,275 Chinese subjects aged between 45 and 74 living in Singapore. Participants provided information on diet, lifestyle choices, and medical history, and were followed for an average of nearly 15-years. Results showed that participants who drank at least 20 g of ethanol daily had a greater risk of cirrhosis mortality compared to non-drinkers. On the other hand, coffee intake was associated with a lower risk of death from non-viral hepatitis related cirrhosis. In fact, participants who drank two or more cups of coffee per day were 66% less likely to die from non-viral related liver cirrhosis compared to participants who did not drink coffee. “Our finding suggests that while the benefit of coffee may be less apparent in the Asian population where chronic viral hepatitis B predominates currently, this is expected to change as the incidence of non-viral hepatitis related cirrhosis is expected to increase in these regions, accompanying the increasing affluence and westernizing lifestyles amongst their younger populations," concluded Dr Koh.