Only two cups of coffee a day reduce the risk of liver cancer

Good news for those people who can not imagine their day without coffee. It turns out that two cups daily can reduce the risk of liver cancer. Even decaffeinated coffee has a protective effect.

The relationship between coffee consumption and the development of liver cancer

Scientists from the universities of Southampton and Edinburgh in the UK conducted a meta-analysis of 26 previous studies, which involved more than 2 million people. Their goal was to study the relationship between the development of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), which is considered one of the most common forms of primary liver cancer, and the use of coffee.

Coffee is not the first time associated with the state of liver health. In 2016, the World Health Organization published a report reviewing 1000 studies, which concluded that this drink reduces the risk of cancer in the liver and uterus.

Primary liver cancer

The results of the new study, published in the British Medical Journal, are the first in which scientists calculated the risk of HCC development with coffee consumption. Primary liver cancer is the sixth most often diagnosed by its kind in the world. But since it is very difficult to predict, it is the second leading cause of death from cancer.

HCC accounts for about 90 percent of cases of chronic liver disease, and it mainly occurs in the elderly who are already suffering from cirrhosis. Because of a poor prognosis, only 10-37 percent of patients have a chance of removing a potentially operable tumor.

Results of the new meta-analysis

Researchers say that as little as one cup per day can reduce the risk of HCC development by 20 percent. Two cups increase your chances to 35%, and five cups reduce this risk by half. However, researchers do not recommend drinking such a quantity of coffee every day, because the potential harm of high consumption of caffeine has not been fully understood.

Scientists have found that decaffeinated coffee also has protective properties, although its benefits are not as significant as from a drink with caffeine. "We showed that coffee can reduce the risk of liver cirrhosis, as well as cancer, depending on the dose," said Professor Peter Hayes of the University of Edinburgh. "But coffee has a positive effect on the risk of death from many other diseases." Our study provides additional evidence that, with moderate consumption, coffee can be a natural remedy. "

According to the results of the study, liver cancer is on the rise, and is growing so rapidly that by 2030 the number of new cases will increase by 50 percent. Let's hope that 2.25 billion cups of coffee, which are drunk daily in the world, will provide us with unexpected help.