Regular coffee or decaf? Drinking both may benefit the liver
Previous research has shown that coffee consumption can benefit the liver, but a new study indicates that drinking decaf also lowers liver enzyme levels, suggesting the benefits are not linked to caffeine content.
As autumn settles in and the temperatures drop, starting the day with a steaming cup of coffee becomes even more appealing; and this is a daily habit that recent research has linked to certain health benefits.
Drinking the tasty beverage has been linked to reduced risks for diabetes, cardiovascular disease, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, cirrhosis and liver cancer.?
Americans are definitely gravitating toward coffee as part of their daily diet; according to a 2010 report from the National Coffee Association, more than 50% of all Americans over age 18 drink around three cups each day.
What is more, the International Coffee Association say coffee consumption has increased 1% each year since the 1980s, and in recent years, this figure has jumped to 2%.
The researchers of this latest study - led by Dr. Qian Xiao from the National Cancer Institute in Bethesda, MD - publish their findings in the journal Hepatology.
"Prior research found that drinking coffee may have a possible protective effect on the liver," says Dr. Xiao. "However, the evidence is not clear if that benefit may extend to decaffeinated coffee." ...
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