Coffee: 'Go away, liver cancer!'

‘I could be your pal in preventing liver cancer’, said Coffee, after munching through 26 studies.

Today I learned that

Researchers have suggested that hepatocellular cancer (HCC), the most common form of primary liver cancer, is less likely to be developed in the ones who drink more coffee. Even the decaffeinated coffee counts!

To come up with this result, data from 26 studies involving more than 2.25 million participants was examined by experts from the University of Southampton and the University of Edinburgh.

According to The Guardian, comparing with individuals who said no to coffee:

• Those who enjoyed one cup of coffee a day had 20% lower risk of developing HCC,
• 35% reduced risk for two cups a day, and
• 50% for five cups.

The authors of this study states that:

It may be important for developing coffee as a lifestyle intervention in chronic liver disease, as decaffeinated coffee might be more acceptable to those who do not drink coffee or who limit their coffee consumption because of caffeine-related symptoms.

However, lead author Dr Oliver Kennedy, of the University of Southampton, also said that

We’re not suggesting that everyone should start drinking five cups of coffee a day though. There needs to be more investigation into the potential harms of high coffee-caffeine intake, and there is evidence it should be avoided in certain groups such as pregnant women.

My thoughts

I drink 4–5 cups of coffee every day. Even though I had (or have) heart muscle disease, I have found that exercising actively, eating healthily with a lot of greens and drinking coffee daily do make me healthier and my heart stronger.

Reference: Drinking coffee may help prevent liver cancer, study suggests — The Guardian