Based on studies linking coffee consumption with lower liver cancer risk, coffee is put to the test to see if it can help reduce liver damage in those with hepatitis C.
Preventing Liver Cancer with Coffee
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Below is an approximation of this video’s audio content. To see any graphs, charts, graphics, images, and quotes to which Dr. Greger may be referring, watch the above video.
Decades ago, a group of researchers in Norway came upon an unexpected finding. Alcohol consumption was associated with liver inflammation—no surprise. But, a strong protective association was found for “coffee consumption.”
These findings were replicated in the U.S. and around the world. Those at risk for liver disease—those that drank a lot of alcohol or were overweight, and therefore at risk for fatty liver disease, appeared to cut their risk in half if they drank more than two cups of coffee a day.
Liver cancer is one of the most feared complications of liver inflammation. “Hepatocellular carcinoma is…the third leading cause of cancer death….Furthermore, it has a rapidly rising incidence in the United States and Europe, largely driven by the burden of hepatitis C [infection and fatty liver disease].” Putting together all the best studies done to date, those drinking the most coffee had half the risk of liver cancer compared to those that drank the least. Since this meta-analysis was published, a new study found that male smokers may be able to cut their risk of liver cancer more than 90% by drinking four or more cups of coffee a day. Of course they could also stop smoking.
It’s like if you look at heavy drinkers of alcohol, drinking more coffee may decrease liver inflammation—but not as much as drinking less alcohol.
“…[L]iver cancers are among the most…avoidable cancers—through [hepatitis B] vaccination, control of [hepatitis C] transmission, and reduction of alcohol drinking. These three measures [could], in principle, [wipe out] 90% of…liver cancers worldwide. It remains unclear whether coffee drinking has an additional role” [on top of that], but in any case such a role would be limited compared [to preventing liver damage in the first place].”
What if we already have hep C, or are among the 30% of Americans with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease due to obesity—which may quadruple one’s risk of dying from liver cancer.
Well, coffee seems to help with hepatitis C, reducing liver damage, disease activity, and mortality. It seems to help reduce the risk of developing liver cancer. “[O]nly the lack of randomized [trials, interventional studies on the] topic prevents us from considering the protective effect of coffee…as fully ascertained.” But we didn’t have any such trials, until now.
A randomized controlled trial on the effects of coffee consumption in chronic hepatitis C. “Forty patients with chronic [hep] C were randomized into two groups: the first consumed 4 cups of coffee [a] day for 30 days, while the second [group] remained coffee ‘abstinent.'” And then, the groups…switched…for the second month.” Now, two months is too soon to detect changes in cancer rates, but they were able to demonstrate that “coffee consumption…reduces oxidative DNA damage, increases [the death of virus-infected cells],” stabilizes the chromosomes, and reduces fibrosis, all of which could explain the role coffee appears to play “in reducing the risk of disease progression and of evolution to [cancer].”
So, “is it time to write a prescription for coffee” for those at risk for liver disease? Some say no. “Although the results are promising,…[a]dditional work is needed to identify which specific component of coffee is the contributing factor in reducing liver disease and related mortality.” “[T]here are more than 1000 compounds that could be responsible for its beneficial effects.”
That’s such a pharmacological worldview. Why do we have to know exactly what it is in the coffee bean before we can start using it to help people? Yes, more studies are needed, but “[I]n the interim, moderate, daily, unsweetened coffee ingestion is a reasonable adjunct to therapy for [people at high risk, such as those with fatty disease].”
Yes, “[d]aily consumption of caffeinated beverages can…lead to physical dependence. Caffeine “withdrawal symptoms” can include days of headache[s], fatigue, difficulty with concentration…, and mood disturbances.” But, this dependence could be a good thing. “..[T]he tendency for coffee to promote habitual daily consumption may ultimately turn out to be advantageous if its myriad potential health benefits are confirmed.”
Please consider volunteering to help out on the site.
- R Cardin, M Piciocchi, D Martines, L Scribano, M Petracco, F Farinati. Effects of coffee consumption in chronic hepatitis C: A randomized controlled trial. Dig Liver Dis 2013 45(6):499 – 504.
- J Danielsson, P Kangastupa, T Laatikainen, M Aalto, O Niemelä. Dose- and gender-dependent interactions between coffee consumption and serum GGT activity in alcohol consumers. Alcohol Alcohol 2013 48(3):303 – 307.
- G Y Lai, S J Weinstein, D Albanes, P R Taylor, K A McGlynn, J Virtamo, R Sinha, N D Freedman. The association of coffee intake with liver cancer incidence and chronic liver disease mortality in male smokers. Br J Cancer 2013 109(5):1344 – 1351.
- F Bravi, C Bosetti, A Tavani, S Gallus, C La Vecchia. Coffee reduces risk for hepatocellular carcinoma: An updated meta-analysis. Clin Gastroenterol Hepatol 2013 11(11):1413 - 1421 - e1.
- R Salgia, A G Singal. Hepatocellular carcinoma and other liver lesions. Med Clin North Am 2014 98(1):103 – 118.
- J H O'Keefe, S K Bhatti, H R Patil, J J DiNicolantonio, S C Lucan, C J Lavie. Effects of habitual coffee consumption on cardiometabolic disease, cardiovascular health, and all-cause mortality. J Am Coll Cardiol 2013 62(12):1043 – 1051.
- R Karagozian, Z Derdák, G Baffy. Obesity-associated mechanisms of hepatocarcinogenesis. Metab Clin Exp 2014 63(5):607 – 617.
- E E Calle, C Rodriguez, K Walker-Thurmond, M J Thun. Overweight, obesity, and mortality from cancer in a prospectively studied cohort of US adults. New England Journal of Medicine 2003 348(17):1625 – 1638.
- D M Torres, S A Harrison. Is it time to write a prescription for coffee? Coffee and liver disease. Gastroenterology 2013 144(4):670 – 672.
- L X Sang, B Chang, X H Li, M Jiang. Consumption of coffee associated with reduced risk of liver cancer: A meta-analysis. BMC Gastroenterol 2013 13:34.
- V Ng, S Saab. Can daily coffee consumption reduce liver disease-related mortality? Clin. Gastroenterol. Hepatol. 2013 11(11):1422 – 1423.
- Arnesen E, Huseby NE, Brenn T, Try K. The Tromsø Heart Study: distribution of, and determinants for, gamma-glutamyltransferase in a free-living population. Scand J Clin Lab Invest. 1986 Feb;46(1):63-70.
- C E Ruhl, J E Everhart. Coffee and Tea Consumption Are Associated With a Lower Incidence of Chronic Liver Disease in the United States. Gastroenterology. Volume 129, Issue 6, Pages 1928–1936, December 2005
Images thanks to PublicDomainPictures via Pixabay
Below is an approximation of this video’s audio content. To see any graphs, charts, graphics, images, and quotes to which Dr. Greger may be referring, watch the above video.
Decades ago, a group of researchers in Norway came upon an unexpected finding. Alcohol consumption was associated with liver inflammation—no surprise. But, a strong protective association was found for “coffee consumption.”
These findings were replicated in the U.S. and around the world. Those at risk for liver disease—those that drank a lot of alcohol or were overweight, and therefore at risk for fatty liver disease, appeared to cut their risk in half if they drank more than two cups of coffee a day.
Liver cancer is one of the most feared complications of liver inflammation. “Hepatocellular carcinoma is…the third leading cause of cancer death….Furthermore, it has a rapidly rising incidence in the United States and Europe, largely driven by the burden of hepatitis C [infection and fatty liver disease].” Putting together all the best studies done to date, those drinking the most coffee had half the risk of liver cancer compared to those that drank the least. Since this meta-analysis was published, a new study found that male smokers may be able to cut their risk of liver cancer more than 90% by drinking four or more cups of coffee a day. Of course they could also stop smoking.
It’s like if you look at heavy drinkers of alcohol, drinking more coffee may decrease liver inflammation—but not as much as drinking less alcohol.
“…[L]iver cancers are among the most…avoidable cancers—through [hepatitis B] vaccination, control of [hepatitis C] transmission, and reduction of alcohol drinking. These three measures [could], in principle, [wipe out] 90% of…liver cancers worldwide. It remains unclear whether coffee drinking has an additional role” [on top of that], but in any case such a role would be limited compared [to preventing liver damage in the first place].”
What if we already have hep C, or are among the 30% of Americans with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease due to obesity—which may quadruple one’s risk of dying from liver cancer.
Well, coffee seems to help with hepatitis C, reducing liver damage, disease activity, and mortality. It seems to help reduce the risk of developing liver cancer. “[O]nly the lack of randomized [trials, interventional studies on the] topic prevents us from considering the protective effect of coffee…as fully ascertained.” But we didn’t have any such trials, until now.
A randomized controlled trial on the effects of coffee consumption in chronic hepatitis C. “Forty patients with chronic [hep] C were randomized into two groups: the first consumed 4 cups of coffee [a] day for 30 days, while the second [group] remained coffee ‘abstinent.'” And then, the groups…switched…for the second month.” Now, two months is too soon to detect changes in cancer rates, but they were able to demonstrate that “coffee consumption…reduces oxidative DNA damage, increases [the death of virus-infected cells],” stabilizes the chromosomes, and reduces fibrosis, all of which could explain the role coffee appears to play “in reducing the risk of disease progression and of evolution to [cancer].”
So, “is it time to write a prescription for coffee” for those at risk for liver disease? Some say no. “Although the results are promising,…[a]dditional work is needed to identify which specific component of coffee is the contributing factor in reducing liver disease and related mortality.” “[T]here are more than 1000 compounds that could be responsible for its beneficial effects.”
That’s such a pharmacological worldview. Why do we have to know exactly what it is in the coffee bean before we can start using it to help people? Yes, more studies are needed, but “[I]n the interim, moderate, daily, unsweetened coffee ingestion is a reasonable adjunct to therapy for [people at high risk, such as those with fatty disease].”
Yes, “[d]aily consumption of caffeinated beverages can…lead to physical dependence. Caffeine “withdrawal symptoms” can include days of headache[s], fatigue, difficulty with concentration…, and mood disturbances.” But, this dependence could be a good thing. “..[T]he tendency for coffee to promote habitual daily consumption may ultimately turn out to be advantageous if its myriad potential health benefits are confirmed.”
Please consider volunteering to help out on the site.
- R Cardin, M Piciocchi, D Martines, L Scribano, M Petracco, F Farinati. Effects of coffee consumption in chronic hepatitis C: A randomized controlled trial. Dig Liver Dis 2013 45(6):499 – 504.
- J Danielsson, P Kangastupa, T Laatikainen, M Aalto, O Niemelä. Dose- and gender-dependent interactions between coffee consumption and serum GGT activity in alcohol consumers. Alcohol Alcohol 2013 48(3):303 – 307.
- G Y Lai, S J Weinstein, D Albanes, P R Taylor, K A McGlynn, J Virtamo, R Sinha, N D Freedman. The association of coffee intake with liver cancer incidence and chronic liver disease mortality in male smokers. Br J Cancer 2013 109(5):1344 – 1351.
- F Bravi, C Bosetti, A Tavani, S Gallus, C La Vecchia. Coffee reduces risk for hepatocellular carcinoma: An updated meta-analysis. Clin Gastroenterol Hepatol 2013 11(11):1413 - 1421 - e1.
- R Salgia, A G Singal. Hepatocellular carcinoma and other liver lesions. Med Clin North Am 2014 98(1):103 – 118.
- J H O'Keefe, S K Bhatti, H R Patil, J J DiNicolantonio, S C Lucan, C J Lavie. Effects of habitual coffee consumption on cardiometabolic disease, cardiovascular health, and all-cause mortality. J Am Coll Cardiol 2013 62(12):1043 – 1051.
- R Karagozian, Z Derdák, G Baffy. Obesity-associated mechanisms of hepatocarcinogenesis. Metab Clin Exp 2014 63(5):607 – 617.
- E E Calle, C Rodriguez, K Walker-Thurmond, M J Thun. Overweight, obesity, and mortality from cancer in a prospectively studied cohort of US adults. New England Journal of Medicine 2003 348(17):1625 – 1638.
- D M Torres, S A Harrison. Is it time to write a prescription for coffee? Coffee and liver disease. Gastroenterology 2013 144(4):670 – 672.
- L X Sang, B Chang, X H Li, M Jiang. Consumption of coffee associated with reduced risk of liver cancer: A meta-analysis. BMC Gastroenterol 2013 13:34.
- V Ng, S Saab. Can daily coffee consumption reduce liver disease-related mortality? Clin. Gastroenterol. Hepatol. 2013 11(11):1422 – 1423.
- Arnesen E, Huseby NE, Brenn T, Try K. The Tromsø Heart Study: distribution of, and determinants for, gamma-glutamyltransferase in a free-living population. Scand J Clin Lab Invest. 1986 Feb;46(1):63-70.
- C E Ruhl, J E Everhart. Coffee and Tea Consumption Are Associated With a Lower Incidence of Chronic Liver Disease in the United States. Gastroenterology. Volume 129, Issue 6, Pages 1928–1936, December 2005
Images thanks to PublicDomainPictures via Pixabay
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Preventing Liver Cancer with Coffee
LicenseCreative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0)
Content URLDoctor's Note
For more on coffee, see Coffee and Cancer, What About the Caffeine?, Coffee and Artery Function, and Does Coffee Affect Cholesterol?.
Broccoli can boost the liver’s detoxifying enzymes (Prolonged Liver-Function Enhancement from Broccoli), but one can overdo it (Liver Toxicity Due to Broccoli Juice?).
What other foods might reduce DNA damage? See:
- DNA Protection from Broccoli
- Antimutagenic Activity of Green vs. White Tea
- Kiwifruit & DNA Repair
- Cancer, Interrupted: Green Tea
- Cancer, Interrupted: Garlic & Flavonoids
- Spicing Up DNA Protection
- Carcinogen-Blocking Effects of Turmeric
And Does Coffee Inhibit Iron Absorption? What Are the Effects of Having Too Much Iron? Watch the video to find out. All of my newest videos on coffee can be found on the topic page.
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