Study: Coffee May Reduce the Risk of Liver Disease and Liver-Related Death

Drinking coffee—including decaffeinated coffee—may be associated with a lower risk of cirrhosis, liver cancer and death from liver disease, according to a new study.

The findings, published in the journal Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology, suggest that higher coffee consumption is linked to a reduced likelihood of developing serious liver diseases and liver-related mortality.

Researchers analyzed data from more than 350,000 participants in the UK Biobank who had no history of cirrhosis or liver cancer at the start of the study and followed them for 13 years, Euronews reported. People who drank five or more cups of coffee per day had a 32% lower risk of developing cirrhosis, a 47% lower risk of liver cancer and a 42% lower risk of dying from liver disease compared with those who drank little or no coffee.

Liver diseases are responsible for approximately two million deaths worldwide each year—about 4% of all global deaths—with nearly two-thirds of these fatalities occurring in men, according to a 2023 study.

Participants with higher coffee consumption also had lower levels of liver fat, iron accumulation, fibrosis and liver inflammation.

Blood analyses showed that coffee drinkers had higher levels of proteins associated with healthy liver function and lower levels of proteins linked to liver scarring and inflammation.

"Our findings support the benefits of moderate coffee consumption for people who already enjoy coffee and tolerate it well," said the study's lead author, Joo Dong Yang.

"However, based on this study alone, we would not recommend that people start drinking coffee solely to protect their liver," he added.

Both caffeinated and decaffeinated coffee showed similar associations, suggesting that the potential health benefits are not explained by caffeine alone.

According to study author Shelly Lu, coffee appears to influence liver health through mechanisms related to inflammation and fibrosis. Better understanding these pathways could help identify which individuals are most likely to benefit from coffee consumption.

The strongest association was observed among people who consumed approximately three to four cups of coffee per day. However, even moderate intake of one to two cups daily was associated with a measurable reduction in liver disease risk.

Yang emphasized that liver disease prevention should continue to focus on maintaining a healthy body weight, limiting alcohol consumption, engaging in regular physical activity and controlling blood sugar, blood pressure and cholesterol levels.

Excessive caffeine intake may cause rapid heartbeat, heart rhythm disturbances, elevated blood pressure, anxiety and sleep problems.

For most healthy adults, up to 400 milligrams of caffeine per day—roughly equivalent to four cups of coffee or tea—is generally considered safe.