Study Links Coffee Consumption with Lower Liver Cancer Risk

A new study has found an association between coffee consumption and lower risk of common type of liver cancer.

According to researchers at USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center in Los Angeles, the more coffee people drank, the lower was their risk of developing hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

HCC affects more men than women. Causes of the cancer include liver injury or cirrhosis, which may be from alcohol abuse, autoimmune disease, viral infection or excess amount of iron in the body. Research has shown that exercise can lower HCC risk.

The study was based on data from 79,890 men and women. Participants' dietary habits and lifestyle were followed for an average of 18 years.

Data analysis showed that people who drank four to six cups of coffee per day had a 42 percent lower risk of developing HCC.

"Coffee intake has been suggested to lower the risk for HCC in epidemiologic studies, but these studies were conducted outside of the United States," said V. Wendy Setiawan, assistant professor in the Department of Preventive Medicine at the USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center in Los Angeles.

"Data from a diverse group of men and women from various ethnicities followed up for 18 years showed a statistically significant dose-response relationship between increasing coffee consumption and lowered HCC risk," added Setiawan in a news release. "Now we can add HCC to the list of medical ailments, such as Parkinson's disease, type 2 diabetes, and stroke, that may be prevented by coffee intake. Daily coffee consumption should be encouraged in individuals who are at high risk for HCC."

Researchers said that the co-relation between coffee consumption and HCC remained even after they accounted for other factors that might have affected the study results such as gender, age, ethnicity, body mass index and even diabetes status.

The study was funded by the National Cancer Institute and the results were presented at the AACR Annual Meeting 2014.

Several studies have found the benefits and harms of drinking coffee and tea. Coffee consumption has been linked with significantly lower incidence of Parkinson's disease (PD), reduced risk of common type of skin cancer and increased odds of living for a long time. Other research has shown that coffee could shorten a person's lifespan ( there are drawbacks to this study).

Also, several products contain high levels of caffeine and you might already be getting all the caffeine that you need to maintain a healthy diet.