The rich smell is almost irresistible. Most people crave it in the morning. So many choices, so many health benefits.
But of everything you may have heard about coffee, this might be the best: Coffee, even decaf, can save your liver, and possibly your life.
Liver cirrhosis is the 11th leading cause of death in the U.S. But recent Research at the Duke-NUS Graduate Medical School Singapore and the National University of Singapore shows that coffee reduces your risk of death from liver cirrhosis by 66 percent.
Liver cancer is the second deadliest form of cancer in the world, and drinking alcohol contributes to liver cancer. But regular coffee consumption offsets the risk of liver cancer.
And another study suggests that those who prefer decaf benefit as well. The study, published online in the journal Hepatology, suggests that the coffee itself, not the caffeine as previously suggested, is responsible for previously discovered benefits to liver health.
People who drank at least three cups of coffee per day, including those who drank only decaf, had lower levels of liver enzymes—an indication of better overall liver health.
“Perhaps the most important piece of information to be gleaned from this study is that the protective effects are unrelated to caffeine but in fact related to some intrinsic component of coffee itself,” Dr. David Bernstein, chief of the division of hepatology at North Shore University Hospital in Manhasset, New York added.
Harvard health news reports that coffee may even improve response to some treatments for hepatitis C.
The reason this is so beneficial to your overall health is that the liver is involved in over 300 separate processes within the body.
Research shows that cafestol and kahweol, substances found in unfiltered coffee, may be responsible for liver benefits. You get the highest concentrations of these compounds when using French and Turkish preparation methods.
