Coffee Reduces the Risk of Developing Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease in Obese Diabetics

According to the FDA, an adult person can safely consume up to 200 mg of caffeine per day. A cup of regular filter coffee (200 ml), an espresso (60 ml), and a cup of black tea (220 ml) contain 90 mg, 80 mg, and 50 mg of caffeine, respectively.

Coffee

Fatty liver disease is characterized by a buildup of fat in the liver, causing inflammation. If left untreated, it can lead to liver fibrosis or cirrhosis.

The caffeine and polyphenols found in coffee are thought to help protect the liver. According to researchers at the University of Coimbra (Portugal), drinking this beverage can reduce the severity of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in people at risk, such as obese type 2 diabetics.

Coffee may protect people at risk

The researchers asked 156 participants with borderline obesity about their coffee consumption. 98 of them suffered from type 2 diabetes and were at high risk of developing non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. Urine samples were also analyzed to measure levels of caffeine and other components. According to the researchers, this gives a more reliable picture of how many cups the person drank.

The data show that the volunteers with the highest coffee consumption had healthier livers. Those with a high caffeine content were less likely to develop liver fibrosis. Higher levels of coffee components – such as polyphenols – were significantly associated with lower rates of liver steatosis. Type 2 diabetic and obese patients who regularly drank coffee had less severe forms of fatty liver disease compared to those who did not drink it.

Coffee can protect the liver from oxidative stress

The researchers report in their paper published in Nutrients that coffee consumption is associated with a decrease in liver fibrosis associated with non-alcoholic fatty liver and other chronic liver diseases. Coffee components, including polyphenols, reduce oxidative stress in the organ, thereby reducing the risk of fibrosis and improving glucose homeostasis in both healthy and obese individuals. “All of these factors may also reduce the severity of type 2 diabetes,” the team adds.

Study lead author Professor John Griffith Jones said, “Due to changes in diet and modern lifestyle, there is an increase in obesity and the incidence of type 2 diabetes or fatty liver, which can eventually progress to more serious and irreversible conditions, placing a huge burden on health care systems. Our research is the first to observe that higher cumulative levels of caffeine and non-caffeine metabolites in urine are associated with reduced severity of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in obese diabetics.”