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 3 of 3)

6-14-2006 @1:27PM Lance said... There have been many studies that show the benefits of coffee. Caffeine may not always be the beneficial constituent. That's why it is so iffy to isolate only one thing from a plant or animal as supplement. I personally drink a lot of coffee during the day and have "adult beverages" in the evening. I feel great, take no prescriptions, and seem to be doing better than my peers. Probably because I take all health notices/studies with a grain of salt (well, with Himalayan Crystal Salt).
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6-14-2006 @1:43PM Barbara said... As a recovering alcoholic, I'd LIKE to believe the 3
cups of coffe I enjoy every morning are helping my poor, besieged liver to recuperate. Of course, wanting
to believe something is true doesn't make it so, but
even if the technical reasons for coffee being liver-
friendly haven't been found yet, coffee could well be
good for the liver. Many people knew that cigarettes
were dangerous long before the scientific findings were published...let's not forget that cigarettes were
called "coffin nails" as far back as the late 1800s!!
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6-14-2006 @1:45PM Jennifer said... I bet starbucks paid AOL to post this article.
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6-14-2006 @1:54PM David Fife said... So does this study mean that Irish Coffee will not harm you in any way? So if my boss smells alcohol on my breath at 9:00am I can say that it doctor's orders.

David
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6-14-2006 @1:58PM Khendra said... I drink coffee regularly. While this cirrhosis prevention theory may not be completely proven yet, it's nice to know that I may be benefitting myself in another way besides giving my brain an energy boost with coffee.
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6-14-2006 @2:04PM Audre said... Black coffee and dark chocolate have health benefits. Drink up and enjoy!
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6-14-2006 @2:13PM Shawn said... Coffee is the greatest for people with asthma, by the second cup in the morning, breathing is so much easier. I personally am alittle nervous to be without it. Seems like it makes your meds work faster too.
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6-14-2006 @2:19PM Vanessa said... I'll have a kahlua and coffee please...
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6-14-2006 @2:25PM jim said... hmmmmmmm i drink about a pot a day....guess i can up my alkie beverage to a 12 pack now lmao
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6-14-2006 @2:25PM Jay Baker said... You could, proverbally, Kill 2 "Birds" with 1 Cup by simply drinking IRISH COFFEE!
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6-14-2006 @2:35PM allison said... Well, I think that coffee interrupts your Bio-rhythms, especially in the "sleep" area. My husband drinks coffee everyday. He is also an avid alcohol drinker. Everyday, he is nervous, angry, bitter, and gets upset easily. I , on the other hand, get great sleep. I can doze off without a problem. I am not a coffee or alcohol drinker, yet, I have all this energy and optimistic outlook on life. As far as the issue about coffee curbing liver damage....I have no clue. But I know that coffee damages your intestines, which you need to keep clean in order to have clean organs throughout your body. In conclusion, if the intestines need to stay clean in order to prevent damage to other organs ( LIVER, HEART, ETC ), then we need to steer clear of caffeine.

Yours truly,

38 yr old mother(looking like 25 yrs old)with 6 healthy children.
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