Daily cup of coffee '˜protects from liver disease'

Six cups of coffee a day can help people lose weight and reverse signs of liver disease, according to new research.
CoffeeCoffee
Coffee

The study found that a daily intake of coffee - equivalent to six cups of espresso for someone weighing 11 stone (70 kilos) - improved non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, or NAFLD, in mice that were fed a high fat diet.

Researchers found the mice also gained less weight than others fed the same diet without the dose of caffeine.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Study author Doctor Vincenzo Lembo, at the University of Napoli in Italy, said: “Previous studies have confirmed how coffee can reverse the damage of NAFLD, but this is the first to demonstrate that it can influence the permeability of the intestine.

“The results also show that coffee can reverse NAFLD-related problems such as ballooning degeneration, a form of liver cell degeneration.”

People suffering from NAFLD can develop scarring of the liver, also known as fibrosis, which can become a potentially life-threatening condition known as cirrhosis.

Researchers analysed three different groups of mice over a 12-week period.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Group one received a standard diet, group two had a high fat diet and group three was given a high fat diet plus a decaffeinated coffee solution.

Coffee along with a high fat diet significantly reversed levels of cholesterol, as well as enzymes in the blood that increase when the liver is damaged, and the amount of fat in the liver cells, known as steatosis.

The combination of coffee and a high fat diet also reduced weight gain in the mice.

Professor Laurent Castera, EASL Secretary General, said: “Italy is famous for its coffee and this Italian study has reinforced our knowledge on the link between it and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“Although not suggesting that we should consume greater levels of coffee, the study offers insights that can help future research into and understanding of the therapeutic role coffee can play in combating NAFLD.”

The scientists also discovered that coffee protects against NAFLD by raising levels of a protein called Zonulin, which lessens how much fat passes through the gut.

Experts believe that increased gut permeability contributes to liver injury and worsens NAFLD.

Related topics: