Cirrhosis, also known as cryptogenic chronic liver disease, is a condition characterized by liver scarring and poor liver function. A variety of factors can cause chronic liver damage and cirrhosis, including Hepatitis C, long-term alcohol abuse, primary biliary cirrhosis, primary sclerosing cholangitis, Hepatitis B, Wilson's disease, hemochromatosis and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. Caffeine may help reduce the risk of developing liver diseases such as cirrhosis.
Cirrhosis Risk
A 2001 study published in the "Annals of Epidemiology" found a significant association between coffee consumption and a reduced risk of liver cirrhosis. The more coffee subjects reported having consumed on a regular basis, the lower the risk of cirrhosis. The study found no evidence that coffee consumption can reduce the effects of alcohol intake and other risk factors on liver cirrhosis risk, however, and the study found no evidence that caffeinated beverages besides coffee can reduce cirrhosis risk.
Other Disease Risks
Coffee consumption may also help prevent hepatocellular carcinoma, or cancer of the liver, as well as type 2 diabetes and Parkinson's disease, according to Dr. Rob van Dam of the Harvard School of Public Health. No research suggests that drinking up to six cups of coffee per day has negative effects on mortality or other health factors, notes van Dam.
Cirrhosis and Caffeine Processing
Several studies have found that cirrhosis impaired the processing and elimination of caffeine. A 1980 study published in the journal "Digestive Diseases and Sciences" found that patients with cirrhosis experienced slower elimination of caffeine than healthy controls. Individuals with cirrhosis may be more vulnerable to caffeine's effects.
Warning
Children, adolescents, older adults, people with hypertension and diabetics may be more vulnerable to caffeine's adverse effects. Caffeine may make it more difficult for people with hypertension to control their blood pressure and for diabetics to control their blood sugar. Pregnant women should limit their intake of caffeinated beverages.
References
- "Digestive Diseases and Sciences"; Impaired Elimination of Caffeine in Cirrhosis; Paul Desmond, et al.; March 1980
- "Annals of Epidemiology"; Coffee, Caffeine, and the Risk of Liver Cirrhosis; Giovanni Corrao, et al.; February 2001
- Harvard School of Public Health; Ask the Expert: Coffee and Health; Dr. Rob van Dam
- "Zeitschrift fur Gastroenterologie"; Caffeine Elimination in Cirrhotic and Non-Cirrhotic Liver Disease of Different Etiology; R. Joeres, et al.; February 1993
- "Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition"; Coffee and Health: A Review of Recent Human Research; JV Higdon, et al.; 2006
- PubMed Health; Cirrhosis; December 2010
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