There are many reasons to drink coffee. Jun Kai did a really good job listing said reasons a couple weeks ago. As a man, it’s also great for your sex life and is packed full of antioxidants, lowering the risk of diseases like Type 2 diabetes, Alzheimer’s disease and colorectal cancer. For women, there’s some studies that it may be helpful in warding off breast cancer. But get this: A new study conducted by scientists with the World Cancer Research Fund International has concluded that “there is strong evidence that drinking coffee is linked to a decreased risk of liver cancer.”
This is tremendous news. Line ’em up!
Via the Chicago Tribune:
In drawing together the report, researchers tracked data on 8.2 million people who took part in 34 studies worldwide. There were a total of 24,500 liver cancer cases among the participants in the studies.
The objective was to determine how diet, weight and physical activity affect the risk of liver cancer. The studies were gathered and reviewed by a team at Imperial College London in England, and then independently assessed by a panel of international experts.
Along with the increased risk associated with having three or more alcoholic drinks a day, the investigators also found that being overweight or obese boosts the chances of developing liver cancer.
Well, yeah. But go on…
One other major global culprit driving liver cancer: foods contaminated by aflatoxins. Aflatoxins are toxins produced by fungi, often resulting from the improper storage of food. These toxins are generally found in foods from warmer, developing regions of the world, the researchers said.
Foods that may be affected by aflatoxins include cereals, spices, peanuts, pistachios, Brazil nuts, chili peppers, black pepper, dried fruit and figs, according to the report.
Hmm… Nothing really about WHY coffee is good for the liver, except that blanket statement by the World Cancer Research Fund International. But here’s some unrelated SCIENCE! from the Huffington Post fitness and nutrition expert JJ Virgin to put the discovery in perspective:
One study in the journal Hepatology involved almost 28,000 people, about half of whom drank coffee. Researchers found those who had three cups a day were about 25 percent less likely to have abnormal liver enzymes compared with the non-coffee group. Researchers were unsure why, though they credit coffee’s thousands of beneficial compounds.
“The results showed that people who said they drank three or more cups of coffee a day had lower levels of all four of these enzymes, compared with people who did not drink any coffee,” writes Laura Geggel. “Surprisingly, it didn’t matter whether a person drank regular or decaf coffee: the effect on liver enzyme levels was almost identical.”
Earlier studies also overwhelmingly support coffee’s liver-benefitting properties. One systematic review titled “Impact of Coffee on Liver Diseases” concluded that “coffee appears to have [liver-protecting] health benefits [possibly because of] synergistic effect of multiple compounds…”
So here’s my new mantra: For every shot of tequila, just counteract it in the morning with an extra shot of coffee. Live is all about balancing the scales, not necessarily moderation. See ya at Dukin Donuts, followed by the bar.
[H/T: Esquire]