A cup of coffee goes a long way for the liver (Photo Credit: Creative Commons)

To many of us, a productive day begins with a cup of coffee in hand. Recently, three studies perk us up with more reasons to love our regular dose of caffeine.

Researchers across the globe have found compelling evidence that coffee significantly improves liver function and helps people with chronic liver ailments.

Coffee has become a staple around the world, whether it is to fuel busy bodies running around a metropolis, or to enjoy sweet moments of doing nothing. In Asia, researchers came across two important types of oil in coffee beans that help in protecting the liver. Cafestol and kaweol oils occur naturally in coffee.  It seems these oils have real benefits, and consuming about three cups of coffee daily could lessen the risk of liver cancer by a remarkable 44 percent. These findings grew out of a massive study conducted by the Department of Epidemiology of the National University of Singapore involved over 63,000 participants between the ages 45 to 74, an age group deemed to be more at risk to liver diseases.

Another study was conducted in Nigeria; to look into the effect of coffee to liver function. Thirty healthy male and female Nigerians participated in the research by taking in approximately two grams of coffee everyday for 30 days. Even in this short-term investigation, researchers were able to gather promising information on the benefits of coffee to promote proper liver function. Patients with nonalcoholic steatohepatitis or NASH at the Wilford Hall USAF Medical Center in Fort Sam Houston, Texas were gathered to participate in a study aimed at finding the relationship between their caffeine intakes their liver condition.

NASH is popularly considered a “silent liver disease” that could lead to fibrosis (scaring of the liver cells) and eventually to cirrhosis. Researchers were delighted to find that based on the evidence gathered, caffeine consumption reduced the risk of NASH patients in developing fibrosis. These new studies are putting off common misconception on the dangers of drinking moderate amounts of caffeine.

So next time you grab that cup of coffee, you might just be doing your liver a favor!