Drinking more coffee may prevent liver disease

Drinking an extra cup of coffee a day could make you healthier, according to a review of research on caffeine and cirrhosis.

Studies conducted over 20 years with 432,133 participants found that drinking more coffee significantly reduced the risk of liver disease brought on by heavy drinking. The benefits start with one additional cup and increase with more java.

“Compared to no coffee consumption, researchers estimated one cup a day was tied to a 22% lower risk of cirrhosis. With two cups, the risk dropped by 43%, while it declined 57% for three cups and 65% with four cups,” summarizes Reuters.

Coffee has been found to protect against other diseases, though it is also associated with some types of cancer. And researchers don’t know what effect other lifestyle and nutritional factors contribute to the results.

Since coffee is safe and widely available, the researchers hope it will soon be tested with patients vulnerable to cirrhosis so they can track its preventative powers.

This story was originally published February 21, 2016 at 8:06 AM with the headline "Drinking more coffee may prevent liver disease."