Coffee may curb liver damage

by Nick Vagnoni, Posted Jun 13th 2006 @ 4:45PM

A few cups of coffee a day may help lower the risk of alcohol related liver cirrhosis, according to the results of a study recently published in the Archives of Internal Medicine. The New York Times recently reported on the study, which tracked the health and dietary habits of over 125,000 people from 1978 to 2001. "Compared with people who never drank coffee, those who drank one cup a day or less were about 30 percent less likely to develop alcoholic cirrhosis," the NYT article states. Likelihood of developing alcoholic cirrhosis dropped even more as the number of daily cups of coffee rose. Tea didn't produce the same effects, ruling out the possibility that caffeine is to thank. Researchers are still unsure as to what the preventative ingredient in coffee is.

Filed Under: Science, Magazines, Health & Medical, Drink Recipes, New Products
Tags: alcohol, alcoholic, cirrhosis, coffee, damage, liver, study

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Reader comments (Page 1 of 3)

6-14-2006 @3:41AM Druchyun said... Did they ever think that coffee drinkers are less likely to drink heavily? I don't know about you, but caffeine does not sit well in my stomach with alcohol.
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6-14-2006 @7:45AM Pat Hege said... I would like to know how many of the alcohol drinkers are heavy coffee drinkers. Myself, the more coffee I drink the less I am likely to drink alcohol.
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6-14-2006 @7:54AM Ed Kitchen said... It is my understanding that coffee stimulates the alveoli in the lungs to "blossom" allowing improved oxygen transfer. Since drinking reduces blood flow by relaxing the ventrical system, is it possible that by making oxygenation better we burn up more alcohol in the cells reducing the alcohol impact on the liver?
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6-14-2006 @7:56AM Les said... No mention of when to administer coffe. Would the two cups used to sober up an alchoholic be as effective as a normal morning coffe. Should we require bars to serve coffe first then allow someone to have a drink? How abought an Irish coffe, does it negate itself?
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6-14-2006 @8:11AM MIKE McCAMMON said... THIS RESEARCH SUGGESTS A FEW CUPS OF IRISH COFFEE FOR BREAKFAST. ANYONE CARE TO JOIN?
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6-14-2006 @8:16AM rose brandl said... i only trink coffee. and coffee is healthy for me.i trink coffee 24/7
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6-14-2006 @8:19AM Norma Lane said... Coffee has had a bad rap for many years...caffeine
jitters, "stunt your growth" ect.and with a variety of choices many young people have opted for other
beverages,often colas which are also caffeine laden.
Would be interesting to see an age demographic with
these findings.Older functioning alcoholics drink lots of coffee to revive day-after.Are we going to see more alcohol related liver cancer among the
under 40 crowd?

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6-14-2006 @8:24AM Jack B Nimble said... hmm, did they correct for the fact that large amounts of coffee are requisite at AA meetings? Heavy drinkers who stop drinking have a decreased risk of liver injury also.
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6-14-2006 @8:37AM Gail said... I drink Hazelnut...International Fods Coffee...does this work , too ?
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6-14-2006 @8:48AM Kim Hurst said... The research does not say you should drink coffee and alcohol together. It says just how much coffee you would drink in one day.
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6-14-2006 @8:54AM Lynn Blake said... My father-in-law has cirrhosis and is a coffee drinker. Can't prove your theory by me.
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6-14-2006 @8:57AM Mark said... I say it's moderation. that's the key. And don't believe everything you read.
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6-14-2006 @9:09AM Ray said... There is not enough information regarding the study to determine at what level the null hypothesis "drinking coffee does not reduce cirrhois of the liver" could be disproven. Since I do not drink alcohol I will continue to enjoy my morning coffee without considering my liver.
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6-14-2006 @9:23AM Johnson, Matthew said... I drink coffee simply to unfold my morning as I read the paper. Drinking at that time only makes it harder for me to focus on the important stuff.....like 'where the heck is my second cup'?
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6-14-2006 @9:32AM BARBARA B FROM LONG ISLAND said... I ENJOY DRINKING MY COFFEE DAILY I WAKE UP I MUST HAVE IT IT GIVES YOU THAT EXTRA ENERGY YOU NEED TO STAY ON THE GO
ENERGY GOOD THOUGHTS
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6-14-2006 @9:35AM eric fogelgaren said... post hoc ergo propter hoc
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6-14-2006 @9:36AM tom schmidt said... HOW CAN YOU DISCOUNT TEA AS A POSITIVE BENEFIT? Tea has much less caffeine and would require comparable amounts of cups of tea caffeine-wise (in the study) in proportion to coffee to evaluate the premise that tea has no benefit!
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6-14-2006 @9:38AM Jim Montgomery said... As I sit here, drinking my fourth cup of de-caf coffee, I wonder; Do we have nothing better to do with our time and/or money than to debate the benefits, or lack thereof, of coffee?
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6-14-2006 @9:47AM Ruth said... COFFEE!
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6-14-2006 @9:54AM Patti said... It's just nice to hear good things about our coffee consumpsion. If it helps with our liver, great, if not, it is still the morning beverage of choice in my house.
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