LIVER’S DAILY BREW

Coffee it is! Coffee has been the daily companion to rev up in the morning and get over the mid-afternoon sleepiness. With the new variations and different add-ons on top of a coffee, either hot or cold, coffee thus became the new trend. And it is truly hard to imagine a day without coffee. 

Another good reason why coffee is a great addition to include in your daily routine is for liver health. Studies show that the right amount of coffee is good for the liver and especially helpful when it comes to nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. 

COFFEE

Coffee originated from a genus of plants known as Coffea.  An estimated 25 to 100 species of coffee plants exist. Coffee plants can be small shrubs to tall trees, with leaves from one to 16 inches in size, and in colors from purple or yellow to the predominant dark green. In the commercial coffee industry, there are two important coffee species — Arabica and Robusta.

The beans are processed and roasted from a fruit called the coffee cherry. The main constituents of coffee are caffeine, tannin, fixed oil, carbohydrates, and proteins. It contains 2–3% caffeine, 3–5% tannins, 13% proteins, and 10–15% fixed oils. In the seeds, caffeine is present as a salt of chlorogenic acid (CGA). Also, it contains oil and wax. 

Coffee also contains several useful nutrients, including riboflavin (vitamin B2), niacin (vitamin B3), magnesium, potassium, and various phenolic compounds, or antioxidants. Some experts suggest that these and other ingredients in coffee can benefit the human body in various ways.

COFFEE AND LIVER

A British Liver Trust report (published June 2016), ‘Coffee and the liver – the potential health benefits’, confirms coffee is good for liver health. It is the first time that the entire body of current research and evidence has been reviewed and compiled into a single report.

Included in the report as evidence are as following:

• Regularly drinking moderate amounts of coffee may prevent liver cancer – the World Health Organization has recently confirmed this reduced risk after reviewing more than 1,000 studies in humans

• Coffee also lowers the risk of other liver conditions, including fibrosis (scar tissue that builds up within the liver) and cirrhosis

• Drinking coffee helps slow the progression of liver disease in some patients.

• Beneficial effects have been found; however, the coffee is prepared – filtered, instant, and espresso

COFFEE AND LIVER INTERACTION

Coffee has more than 1,000 chemicals. Though experts are still trying to figure out what the body does with them that makes coffee helpful, here are a few pieces of the puzzle that explain the relationship between coffee and the liver.

1. Digested caffeine in the body results in a chemical called paraxanthine, which then slows the growth of the scar tissue involved in fibrosis. That may help fight liver cancer, alcohol-related cirrhosis, non-alcohol-related fatty liver disease, and hepatitis C.

2. Kahweol and cafestol are the two chemicals in coffee, may help fight cancer. Though experts aren’t sure how powerful the effect is, some think moderate amounts of unsweetened coffee could work alongside the main treatments for the most common kind of liver cancer, hepatocellular carcinoma.

3. Acids in coffee may work against the virus that causes hepatitis B. One study found that decaf coffee could have the same benefits.

4. Studies have found that coffee helps men and women equally. And the benefits show up no matter how the coffee is made -- filtered, instant, or espresso.

RECOMMENDATIONS FOR LIVER HEALTH

At least 3 cups of coffee to help prevent liver problems is recommended, but if you have hepatitis or fatty liver disease, as many as four, five, or even six cups a day is recommended, which might be helpful.

However, not everyone can handle too much coffee without getting headaches, difficulty initiating sleep, anxiety, and jitters. Thus, consuming more than 3 cups daily is only recommended to people who can tolerate it. 

Excessive coffee is also not recommended for people who have an irregular heart rate or other heart problems. Coffee might also cause problems if you have lung cancer. In such cases, steer clear until you talk to your doctor for advice. 

If you can drink coffee without any problems, it is better to skip adding sugar and cream. Since people with fatty liver disease often have problems like diabetes and obesity, it is especially important not to add extra fat and sugar to your coffee. 

KEEPING THE LIVER HEALTHY

There are so many factors to consider in keeping the liver healthy; drinking coffee is just one way. To list a few, here are other ways to keep our liver healthy.

1. It's important to get vaccinated against the hepatitis A and hepatitis B viruses, which both damage the liver. 

2. A healthy diet is also key. “The liver is the first organ to metabolize the foods we eat. Eating a lot of high-sugar, high-saturated-fat foods can lead to fatty liver disease. 

3. And of course, heavy alcohol drinking can permanently damage the liver and lead to cirrhosis.

However, coffee isn’t a miracle worker. It won’t completely reverse liver disease or undo the damage caused by excessive alcohol use. But it can be one delicious and satisfying step toward a happier liver.