Liver Disease and Coffee Intake

A recent study shows that drinking coffee can slow the progression of liver disease.   The study focused on patients with Hepatitis C-related bridging fibrosis or cirrhosis.  Those patients who did not respond to standard treatments seemed to benefit from increased coffee intake.  Interestingly, this beneficial effect in slowing the progression of liver disease was not observed in patients who drink black or green tea, thus indicating that the benefits were not necessarily the result of mere caffeine ingestion.

The study participants were asked to report their normal coffee ingestion frequency.  They were given nine different frequency categories ranging from “never” to “every day.”   They were also given four categories of portion sizes ranging from 1 cup, 2 cups, 3-4 cups, to 5+ cups a day.  Similar questions were posed to black and green tea drinkers.  Study participants were seen once every three months during the duration of the study, which lasted 3.8 years.  Liver biopsies were taken at the 1.5 year mark and the 3.5 year mark to examine the progression of liver disease.

At the end of the study, results showed that study participants who drank three or more cups of coffee per day demonstrated a slowed progression of liver disease.  Study authors cautioned at the release of the results, however, that they cannot necessarily be applied to healthier populations.   The study is an important first step in understanding the factors contributing to the progression of liver disease.  For example, the study authors do not know for sure the effect that other factors that go along with drinking coffee might have had on the study results.

If you are suffering from liver disease or specifically Hepatitis C, you should discuss this study with your doctor.  Perhaps incorporating a cup of coffee into your routine, with moderation, may slow the further progression of liver disease.