Just a few months after it was discovered that coffee can ward off liver disease, scientists have found three cups of the brew can also slash the chances of liver cancer and scarring by up to 70 per cent.
The beverage's levels of antioxidants, caffeine, cafestol, and kahweol are all what contribute to its amazing results and help protect the liver from inflammation and scarring of tissue, known as cirrhosis.
The Institute for Scientific Information on Coffee, made up of six major brands including Nestle, Jacobs Douwe Egberts, and illycaffe, funded a review, which was held at the Royal Society of Medicine in London and chaired by Professor Graeme Alexander, a senior advisor to the British Liver Trust, from University College London.
They looked at previous studies into how coffee positively affects the liver, including a piece of Italian research from 2016 which showed three cups of coffee cuts the chances of liver cancer by 65 per cent.
Furthermore, experts from health care company Kaiser Permanente found that the likelihood of cirrhosis dropped by 25 per cent thanks to coffee, while others found the decrease was as much as 70 per cent.
A moderate amount of coffee is defined by the European Food Safety Authority as three to five cups a day.
Professor Alexander praised the findings, especially in terms of how it can benefit patients who suffer liver problems without a diagnosis.
"A moderate intake of coffee of three to five cups a day is associated with a beneficial effect on liver health," he said. "Patients often have a negative opinion of coffee and are not given proactive advice on coffee consumption as part of a healthy lifestyle.
"However, roundtable delegates felt that patients could benefit from such advice."
Meanwhile, Judi Rhys, chief executive of the British Liver Trust, added, "Liver disease is a silent killer as often there are no symptoms until it's too late.
"Coffee is something that is easily accessible to everyone and regularly drinking it - filtered, instant or espresso - may make a difference in preventing, and, in some cases, slowing down the progression of liver disease."
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