Abstract
Coffee has long been recognized as having hepatoprotective properties, however, the extent of any beneficial effect is still being elucidated. Coffee appears to reduce risk of hepatocellular carcinoma, reduce advancement of fibrotic disease in a variety of chronic liver diseases, and perhaps reduce ability of hepatitis C virus to replicate. This review aims to catalog the evidence for coffee as universally beneficial across a spectrum of chronic liver diseases, as well as spotlight opportunities for future investigation into coffee and liver disease.
Keywords: Coffee, Hepatocellular carcinoma, Liver, Hepatitis, Fatty liver.
Core tip: Coffee is one of the most popular beverages consumed in the United States, with about 75% of the population reporting consuming it. Coffee has also long been associated with hepatoprotective effects, the extent of which there appears to be an ever growing body of benefits as well as a wide variety of etiologies of chronic liver disease it may positively affect. This article reviews recent available literature and summarizes the potential positive or preventive effects of coffee on liver malignancy as well as chronic liver disease secondary to alcohol, viral hepatitis, and fatty infiltration. These studies collectively suggest a simple lifestyle modification patients may be able to incorporate to enhance their own health.
INTRODUCTION
With 1.4 billion kilograms of coffee consumed yearly in the United States alone, coupled with 74.7% of the population being coffee drinkers some may call drinking coffee the national pastime[1,2]. Beyond the taste and stimulating effects, coffee has been associated with improved outcomes with chronic liver disease, hepatocellular cancer (HCC), cirrhosis, colorectal cancer, esophageal cancer, breast cancer, prostate cancer, pancreatic cancer, ovarian cancer, kidney cancer, hepatitis B virus (HBV), hepatitis C virus (HCV), and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). A recent 2015 meta-analysis of 16 case-control and cohort studies of Western populations demonstrated significantly reduced incidence of cirrhosis amongst coffee drinkers when compared to those who did drink the beverage[3]. As coffee continues to grow in popularity, with daily consumption of coffee-based beverages increasing from 19% to 41% in the 25-39 years old age group from 2008, the documented benefits of increased coffee intake have also grown[4,5]. Furthermore, coffee is generally considered to have a wide safety profile, with the American Food and Drug Administration noting caffeine as a substance generally recognized as safe, not known to be a health hazard[6]. Many countries’ health agencies set no upper limit for daily caffeine intake; in 2006 Health Canada did set an upper limit of 450 mg per day as safe[6]. Over 30 million Americans have chronic liver disease and about 31000 deaths have been attributed to it yearly[7]. Studies evaluating coffee’s potential hepatoprotective effect on liver disease are important as they may represent a simple lifestyle modification patients can incorporate to enhance their own health.
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