Higher coffee consumption may protect against liver cancer

Higher coffee consumption may protect against liver cancer

30 Mar 2015

Every day people drink coffee to increase wakefulness and improve concentration and focus. A new report has shown that regular coffee intake could also reduce liver cancer risk caused by daily alcohol consumption.

The research, conducted by the UK-based World Cancer Research Fund International, was based on an analysis of 34 studies that included 8.2 million people - more than 24,500 of whom had liver cancer. The report provided evidence about the relationship between diet, nutrition, physical activity and cancer and showed that drinking three alcoholic drinks a day can be enough to cause liver cancer. However, it presented strong evidence that drinking coffee can reduce the risk of liver cancer. The findings were published in the Continuous Update Project (CUP) 2015 report.

Decreased risk of liver cancer with just one cup of coffee per day

Mechanisms that support a protective effect of coffee on liver cancer relate largely to studies in animals, although some human studies contribute to the evidence. At the same time, both coffee and coffee extracts have also been shown to reduce the expression of genes involved in inflammation, and the effects appear to be most pronounced in the liver.

As a follow up, the study determined that the risk of developing liver cancer might be reduced by approximately 14% if individuals consume one cup of coffee per day.

The CUP panel reveals: "The evidence for coffee was generally consistent, and the dose-response meta-analysis showed a significantly decreased risk of liver cancer per one cup per day. When stratified by sex, the association was significant for men but not for women.

“Recommendations for coffee consumption cannot yet be made”

Nonetheless, there is no evidence regarding specific components of coffee that were attributable to the decreased risk.

There is uncertainty about the various variables that may affect the association between coffee consumption and reduced liver cancer risk, such as caffeine, sugar and milk. Due to the effect of coffee on other medical conditions, recommendations for coffee consumption cannot yet be made. 

 

Source: Medical News Today