Contents:
- Medical Video: Polycystic Ovary Syndrome | PCOS | Nucleus Health
- What is liver cirrhosis?
- Can coffee help prevent liver cirrhosis?
- How can coffee protect the liver?
- Does it mean that I am free to drink alcohol, as long as I drink coffee regularly?
Medical Video: Polycystic Ovary Syndrome | PCOS | Nucleus Health
Some say drinking coffee is not good for the health of your liver. In fact, the latest research actually proves the opposite. Drinking coffee every day is associated with a reduced risk of liver cirrhosis, especially in people who like to drink alcoholic beverages such as beer.
In the study, it was mentioned that drinking two cups of coffee every day can reduce your risk of developing liver cirrhosis due to alcohol consumption. Wait a minute, what is liver cirrhosis and what is the connection with coffee and alcoholic beverages? Check out the answer below.
What is liver cirrhosis?
Cirrhosis of the liver is damage to the liver tissue which is characterized by the formation of fibrosis tissue. As a result, small lumps appear on your liver. The length of the development of liver tissue damage to eventually become different cirrhosis, can occur in just a few weeks or several years.
Some causes of liver tissue damage are viral hepatitis infection, excessive alcohol consumption, autoimmune diseases, obesity, and diabetes. Signs and symptoms that are common in cirrhosis of the liver are decreased liver function, hypertension, and decreased liver function.
Can coffee help prevent liver cirrhosis?
Experts from the University of Southampton, UK, collected and analyzed data from nine long-term studies that included nearly 500,000 male and female participants from six countries. The analysis showed a link between the amount of coffee consumption and the risk of developing liver cirrhosis. Apparently, the risk of liver cirrhosis is lower in people who drink coffee regularly enough.
People who drink one cup of coffee every day have a 22 percent lower risk of developing cirrhosis. Drinking two cups will reduce the risk by 43 percent. While three cups reduce risk by 57 percent and four cups reduce risk by 65 percent.
However, drinking more than three cups of coffee a day may actually have harmful side effects for your heart and overall health. So, you will only get the healthy benefits of coffee for the liver if not drunk excessively.
How can coffee protect the liver?
In the study, experts explained that coffee has many active ingredients. Besides caffeine, coffee also contains antioxidants and anti-inflammatory agents such as chlorogenic acid, kahweol, and kafestol. These three ingredients are believed to provide a protective effect on the liver.
In addition to the direct effects, coffee also has an indirect effect in preventing cirrhosis in people who mostly drink alcohol. Researchers say that coffee contains various other compounds that can block the hepatitis B and C viruses, and can reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes (diabetes).
Does it mean that I am free to drink alcohol, as long as I drink coffee regularly?
Of course not. Remember, everything that is excessive is not good for the body. Likewise with alcoholic drinks and coffee. The reason, the ability of the liver to filter out waste substances from alcohol and caffeine remains a limit.
Coffee contains hundreds of chemical compounds, while it is still not known exactly which compounds are responsible for protecting the liver. It is still unknown whether coffee that is good for the heart, or whether the origin of coffee beans or the method of making coffee is also influential or not.
Samantha Heller, a clinical nutritionist at New York University, said that although coffee contains compounds that have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects, drinking several cups of coffee a day still cannot restore liver damage caused by excessive alcohol consumption. So, coffee cannot be used as medicine for people who have been diagnosed with liver cirrhosis. Coffee is only able to prevent the appearance of symptoms.
