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Is Coffee Bad for the Liver?

Mainstream media often focuses on risks and benefits of food choices. Coffee has been given attention for potential links to protection from and slowing of liver problems. Many scientific studies show the beneficial effects of coffee drinking on liver diseases and disorders, although the effect of coffee on general liver function in healthy people has not been fully established.

  1. Liver Enzymes

    • High liver enzyme activity in the bloodstream indicates deterioration of liver cells, often a result of alcohol intake. Drinking coffee has been found to directly affect the production of these liver enzymes; regular coffee drinkers show lower liver enzyme levels than people who drink little coffee or none at all.

    Cirrhosis

    • Cirrhosis, a type of liver disease that causes progressive damage to liver tissue and function, appears to be inversely related to coffee drinking. A large-scale study by the Kaiser Permanente Medical Care Program found that people who drank four or more cups of coffee per day had a much lower risk of developing cirrhosis than those who did not drink coffee.

    Hepatitis C

    • A study in patients with hepatitis C showed significantly slower development of liver disease in patients who drank three or more cups of coffee each day. However, the study authors caution that these results should not be generalized to healthy people.

    Hepatocellular Carcinoma

    • Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), or primary liver cancer, is a common type of cancer. The most significant risk for HCC is cirrhosis, which can be caused by hepatitis, alcohol consumption and obesity. Some studies suggest a dose-related relationship between coffee and HCC: lower risk of HCC was associated with higher daily doses of coffee.

    Effective Mechanism in Coffee

    • The mechanism in coffee that causes its positive effects on liver function and in preventing or slowing liver disease is unclear. Caffeine appears to play a recognized role in liver enzyme activity, but the effects of other substances in coffee, like cafestol and kahweol, have yet to be determined. Some studies indicate that the coffee itself, not necessarily the caffeine that can be found in other beverages like tea, is the beneficial agent in liver problems.

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