New Delhi, July 13 (IANS). A good news has emerged for those who like to drink coffee. A new study has found that people who drink coffee regularly have a lower risk of serious liver disease. These also include serious diseases like liver cirrhosis and liver cancer.
This study has been done by researchers from Cedars-Sinai, America, which has been published in the medical journal Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology. In the research, health data of about 3.55 lakh people included in Britain’s UK Biobank was studied. These people had neither cirrhosis nor liver cancer at the beginning of the study. Researchers monitored the health of these people for about 13 years.
The study revealed that people who drank five or more cups of coffee daily had 32 percent less risk of cirrhosis than those who did not drink coffee. At the same time, in such people, the risk of developing liver cancer was found to be 47 percent less and the risk of death due to liver related disease was found to be 42 percent less.
However, researchers say that this does not mean that every person should start drinking five or more cups of coffee now. It was also observed in the study that the benefits of coffee were visible even in those who drank one or two cups daily. At the same time, its relationship appeared to be strongest among those who drank three to four cups per day.
Dr. Xu Dong Yang, lead author of the study and medical director of Cedars-Sinai’s Liver Cancer Program, said that for people who drink coffee and are able to tolerate it easily, drinking coffee in moderate amounts may be beneficial. But one cannot be advised to start drinking coffee just for the sake of liver safety.
Researchers also tried to understand how coffee could affect the liver. For this, they examined people’s liver MRI scan and the proteins present in their blood. It was found that coffee drinkers had less signs of fat accumulation in the liver, inflammation and fibrosis i.e. formation of scars in the liver. Their liver-related protein profiles were also found to be healthier.
Another interesting thing that came to light was that similar liver benefits were seen in those who drank both caffeinated and decaffeinated coffee. From this, scientists believe that not only caffeine, but other elements present in coffee can also play a role in this.
According to Dr. Hunseok Kim, who is one of the leading researchers of this study, hundreds of biological elements are found in coffee. These include ingredients like chlorogenic acid, polyphenols, and diterpenes, which may help reduce oxidative stress and inflammation in the body. These elements may play a role in reducing pressure on the liver and improving metabolic health.
Experts say coffee can be part of a healthy lifestyle, but it’s not the only way to keep your liver healthy. For this it is also important to take a balanced diet. A Mediterranean diet rich in vegetables, fruits, whole grains, pulses, nuts, olive oil and fish is considered good for the liver.
Apart from this, controlling diabetes and insulin resistance, preventing infectious diseases like hepatitis and regular physical activity are also important.
In this research, only the relationship between people’s coffee drinking habit and their health was seen. Scientists have not been able to prove it as cause and effect. That is, it cannot be said with certainty that the liver remains better only because of drinking coffee.
–IANS
PIM/AS
