This blog has posted a number of favorable reports on coffee, even though I’m not a coffee enthusiast.  In general, coffee has favorable health effects when it is not paired with alcohol or tobacco.

A recent coffee study (Gastroenterol 2015; 148: 118-25) shows an association between coffee intake and reduced incidence of liver cancer and death from chronic liver disease in the U.S.

Here’s a link to a summary of the article: GastroHepNews Coffee and Liver Disease

• During an 18-year follow-up period, there were 451 incident cases of hepatocellular carcinoma and 654 deaths from chronic liver disease.
• Compared with non-coffee drinkers, the researchers noted that those who drank 2–3 cups per day had a 38% reduction in risk for hepatocellular carcinoma.
• Those who drank ≥4 cups per day had a 41% reduction in hepatocellular carcinoma risk.
• Compared with non-coffee drinkers, participants who consumed 2–3 cups coffee per day had a 46% reduction in risk of death from chronic liver disease, and those who drank ≥4 cups per day had a 71% reduction.
• The inverse associations were similar regardless of the participants’ ethnicity, sex, body mass index, smoking status, alcohol intake, or diabetes status.

Related blog posts:

• Live longer -drink more coffee | gutsandgrowth
• Drink Up! | gutsandgrowth
• More about coffee | gutsandgrowth
• Hepatology Update Summer 2014: Hepatology 2014; 60: 661-69.  Coffee but not tea conferred protection from cirrhosis mortality.  “Compared to non-daily coffee drinkers, those who drank two or more cups per day had a 66% reduction in mortality risk.”  This study also had an accompanying editorial (pg 464-67) which reviews the biologic plausibility and potential mechanisms

More liver-related news: Man with infected hepatitis C sentenced to 3 years for spitting in officer’s face (from The Republic/AP News)

Does Anyone Know Why This Toilet is in our Office Parking Garage?