Over the last few years, several studies have shown the potential health benefits of drinking coffee.
For example, research published earlier this year found that coffee may help reduce chronic disease risk and boost longevity. Other studies have linked drinking coffee to a reduced risk for Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, heart failure, stroke, colorectal cancer, and liver conditions such as metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) and cirrhosis.
“Coffee is one of the most widely consumed beverages in the world, yet we still do not fully understand how it influences long-term health,” Hyunseok Kim, MD, MPH, PhD, physician-scientist and transplant hepatologist in the Karsh Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in California, told Medical News Today.
“Even modest health effects could have a meaningful public health impact because millions of people drink coffee every day. Continued research also helps us distinguish true biological effects from lifestyle factors and identify which populations may benefit the most,” Kim said.
Kim is the first author of a new study published in the journal Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology that says higher coffee consumption is correlated with not only a lower risk for cirrhosis, but also liver cancer and liver-related death.
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For this study, researchers analyzed health data from the U.K. Biobank for more than 355,000 adults. Study participants did not have cirrhosis or liver cancer at the start of the study, and were tracked for an average of 13 years.
Participants were also asked about their coffee consumption via a questionnaire.
“Previous studies have suggested that coffee may protect against chronic liver disease, but most relied primarily on epidemiologic observations,” Kim explained.
“We wanted to better understand not only whether coffee is associated with better liver outcomes, but also whether imaging biomarkers and blood proteomic profiles provide biological evidence supporting those associations. The UK Biobank offered a unique opportunity to integrate long-term clinical outcomes with advanced MRI and large-scale proteomic data in the same study,” he said.
At the study’s conclusion, researchers found that participants who drank 5 or more cups of coffee per day had a 32% lower risk of developing cirrhosis, as well as an almost 50% lower risk of liver cancer and a 42% lower risk of liver-related death, compared with non-coffee drinkers.
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“These findings reinforce the growing body of evidence that coffee consumption is associated with substantially better long-term liver health,” Kim said. “Importantly, we observed a dose-response relationship, with greater coffee intake associated with progressively lower risks of cirrhosis, liver cancer, and liver-related mortality.”
“While our study cannot prove that coffee directly prevents liver disease, the consistency of these associations across multiple outcomes strengthens the evidence that coffee may be an important component of a liver-healthy lifestyle,” he added.
Additionally, scientists observed, via MRI and blood proteomic analyses, that participants who drank coffee had lower liver fat, lower inflammation, and lower fibrosis-related biomarkers, as well as healthier liver protein profiles.
“This is one of the most novel aspects of our study,” Kim explained. “Rather than relying solely on clinical outcomes, we found that coffee consumption was also associated with healthier liver tissue characteristics on MRI, including lower liver fat and fibroinflammation, as well as favorable changes in circulating proteins involved in fibrosis, inflammation, and liver function.”
“These independent lines of evidence converge to support the biological plausibility of coffee’s beneficial association with liver health,” he added.
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When asked what it might be about coffee that allows it to potentially provide liver health benefits, Kim said it’s through the hundreds of bioactive compounds, including chlorogenic acids, polyphenols, diterpenes, and caffeine, that coffee contains.
“Our findings, along with prior experimental research, suggest that these compounds may reduce oxidative stress, chronic inflammation, and liver fibrosis while improving metabolic function,” he continued.
“Interestingly, we observed similar associations for both caffeinated and decaffeinated coffee, suggesting that non-caffeine components likely contribute substantially to these liver health benefits,” he said.
MNTalso spoke with Meridan Zerner, MS, RDN, CSSD, LD, CHWC, founder of Meridan Zerner Nutrition in Dallas, TX — who was not involved in this study — about the same question.
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Zerner explained that several pathways likely converge to achieve this supportive effect.
“The synergistic mechanisms could include that coffee is a rich source of antioxidants and plant compounds that may help reduce chronic inflammation,” she detailed.
“In addition, the components in coffee have been shown to improve insulin sensitivity and support healthier blood sugar regulation. Regular coffee consumption has also been associated with lower liver fat and slower progression of liver fibrosis, both of which are important because fatty liver disease and cirrhosis are major risk factors for liver cancer.”
— Meridan Zerner, MS, RDN, CSSD, LD, CHWC
“While coffee isn’t a substitute for a healthy lifestyle, it may be one more ingredient in a liver-friendly eating pattern,” Zerner added.
While this study doesn’t prove cause and effect, Zerner said its findings are both positive and consistent, and she would encourage readers who are striving to take better care of their liver to drink regular coffee.
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However, she does remind readers that coffee is just one piece of the liver-protective picture.
Especially for readers who may not like coffee, Zerner advised making other good liver health choices, such as:
Zerner said it would be ideal if the next generation of research could focus on moving from association to direct application, using long-term randomized controlled trials to determine the precise amount and type of coffee for the best results.
“In addition, a discussion around genetics (as individuals metabolize caffeine and perhaps the components of coffee differently), the gut microbiome, or insulin resistance could lead to more personalized nutrition recommendations,” she added.
