Academic Journal
Main Category: Liver Disease / Hepatitis
Also Included In: Nutrition / Diet
Article Date: 19 Aug 2013 - 8:00 PDT Current ratings for:
Caffeinated drinks may be good for the liver
Researchers have discovered that an increased caffeine intake may reduce the risk of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, according to a study published in the journal Hepatology.
A team from the Duke-NUS Graduate Medical School (Duke-NUS) and the Duke University School of Medicine used cell culture and mice as models for the effects of caffeine on the liver disease.
The study found that consuming the caffeine equivalent of four cups of coffee or tea a day may prevent and protect against the progression of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in humans.
People with NAFLD have a build up of extra fat in liver cells that is not caused by alcohol - according to the American Liver Foundation, up to a quarter of Americans have the disease, and there is no treatment, only prevention through diet and exercise.
The study's researchers show that caffeine reduces fat content within the liver and "stimulates ß-oxidation in hepatic cells and liver via an autophagy-lysosomal pathway."
Paul Yen, associate professor at Duke NUS, says:
"This is the first detailed study of the mechanism for caffeine action on lipids in liver and the results are very interesting.
Coffee and tea are so commonly consumed and the notion that they may be therapeutic, especially since they have a reputation for being 'bad' for health, is especially enlightening."
Caffeine consumption certainly has developed a reputation for promoting health problems. For example, Medical News Today recently reported that researchers from the US discovered that drinking four or more cups of coffee a day may lead to a risk of early death.
Other research has suggested that consuming around two cups of coffee a day could be linked to urinary incontinence in men.
On health benefits linked to drinking coffee, the present study is not the first to suggest these. Researchers from the Harvard School of Public Health say that a lower suicide risk is found in men drinking between 2 and 4 cups of coffee a day.
This latest study, the researchers say, may lead to the development of caffeine-like drugs that have therapeutic effects on the liver, but that do not have the usual side effects related to caffeine.
Additionally, they say these findings may present a starting point for further studies on the full benefits of caffeine in humans.
Written by Honor Whiteman
Copyright: Medical News Today
Not to be reproduced without permission of Medical News Today Visit our liver disease / hepatitis section for the latest news on this subject. Caffeine stimulates hepatic lipid metabolism via autophagy-lysosomal pathway Rohit Sinha, Benjamin Farah, Brijesh Singh, Hepatology, published online 16 August 2013 (doi: 10.1002/hep.26667). Please use one of the following formats to cite this article in your essay, paper or report:
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19 Aug. 2013.
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posted by mackaben on 19 Aug 2013 at 11:00 am
I read a report last week that 4 cups of coffee a day was bad for the body. Now another report says that 4 cups of coffee is good for the liver. Which is it?
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posted by James Michael Howard on 19 Aug 2013 at 8:11 am
Caffeine increases testosterone. Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease is characterized by low testosterone. "A low serum total testosterone level was independently associated with NAFLD [A low serum total testosterone level was independently associated with NAFLD]." (BMC Gastroenterol. 2012 Jun 12;12:69) I suggest the findings of Sinha, et al., may be explained by increases in testosterone as a result of caffeinated drinks.
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