Drink Coffee to Help Prevent Liver Fibrosis

[Hep Editors]

Researchers recently found that people with hepatitis C who drank two or more daily cups of coffee had a 13 percent reduced rate of liver stiffness, or fibrosis compared to those who didn't drink a daily brew. 

What's more, people with hep B and NAFLD who consumed four or more cups of coffee daily also had a respective 18 and 24 percent reduction in their liver stiffness.

For more info on how and why this might happen, read here: http://www.hepmag.com/articles/coffee_fibrosis_2501_28099.shtml

[gnatcatcher]

For those of us (a small minority, I realize) who hate the taste of coffee, is there any way to get the benefit without having to drink 16 ounces per day? Milk/cream &/or sugar make it taste even worse, and mocha added to anything ruins it. Are the active ingredient(s) in any sort of pill? Thanks.

Gnatty

[KimInTheForest]

I wonder what it is in the coffee that accounts for this? When I was diagnosed with HCV 20 years ago, I immediately switched from coffee to tea, thinking I was helping my liver by reducing my caffeine intake. I had read that caffeine is metabolised by the liver, so why not help reduce the liver's workload, I thought. Since switching for tea, I have totally lost my taste for coffee and really don't enjoy drinking it. Any chance that the magic anti-fibrosis ingredient in coffee is also in black tea?

I am glad I no longer have HCV. But I would like to do anything to help my liver reverse the fibrosis, which from what I am reading is entirely possible.

kim

[KimInTheForest]

apparently it is not yet known which ingredient in coffee is the miracle-worker. From the original article:

"It is not yet known whether these benefits are related to caffeine or other components of coffee such as antioxidants or other phytochemicals. Some studies suggest caffeine and other chemicals in coffee may dampen inflammation and reduce collagen production."

kim

[Mugwump]

I would attribute having a softer liver by drinking 4 cups of starbucks to the well documented "bouncing off the walls" effect.

[gnatcatcher]

Thanks to both of you -- Kim for reading more thoroughly than I did, and Eric for the great laugh. This is at least the third time I've seen a post by the Hep editors extolling the virtues of coffee, and each time I've tried it again, then posed this hypothetical to myself: Given a choice between having to swallow 730 cups of this stuff per year or living a shorter life, which would you choose? Obviously, by my behavior I've chosen the latter

If it's the antioxidants, quite a few high-antioxidant foods are among my favs. I manage to get quite a lot of phytochemicals in my diet, too. And for caffeine, there's always chocolate   So maybe I'm pretty well covered after all.

Gnatty

P.S. Black tea is high in caffeine, so if that's it, you're well covered too, Kim, as long as you drink four cups/day: http://nutritiondata.self.com/foods-000131000000000000000.html

[MaryC]

Interestingly...I have always had 1.5 cups of coffee in the morning - for the last 30 + years.   That is all I ever wanted or needed, and never craved (or wanted) more, and never, ever have a desire to drink it after breakfast.  Since starting my medications, however, things have been different.  I have noticed I increasingly looked forward to my morning java.  In fact...my consumption has doubled to 3 cups in the morning.  I am also craving it well past breakfast though have resisted the urge drink it later in the day as I worry it will interfere with sleep.  Just curious if anyone else has experienced this phenomenon also?  I can't help but wonder if it is somehow related to my meds.  Possibly I do feel more fatigued (and haven't noticed it) and am trying to counteract with the extra caffeine?? 
Mary

[The Terminator]

pour a up of coffee look into the cup you will see what looks like a lite film swirling around that is riboflavin believe years ago when reserched its a protein/antioxident idrink two cups aday on harvoni, doesnt bother me,but some people might respond differently to it

[jakas]

In my country we are one of the heaviest coffee drinkers in the world. I was drinking 6-8 cups a day. Cut down a bit now.
IMHO I dont really believe it helps

[Philadelphia]

What country are you from Jakas?

[Flaco]

Well, I hope that includes decaf. I love coffee but had to give up the real thing when I noticed it elevated my blood sugar, and I drink it black, or sometimes with a touch of stevia.

[dragonslayer]

Well, I hope that includes decaf. I love coffee but had to give up the real thing when I noticed it elevated my blood sugar, and I drink it black, or sometimes with a touch of stevia.

I've never heard or read that black coffee without sugar effects blood sugar level. .Do you have a link to any research?

As far as decaf goes, the studies Ive read indicate it does not have a similar effect to regular coffee with regard to fibrosis, nor do other caffeinated drinks.

[Flaco]

Well, I just woke up, but this is the first study I came to by googling caffeine and diabetes.
There are many other articles.
Bummer about the decaf and fibrosis. Interesting thing is that you indicate it's not the caffeine itself. Apparently the decaffeinating process removes more than just caffeine.

[dragonslayer]

Thanks for that blood sugar info.. I wasnt aware.  Regarding caffeine and its utility in mitigating liver fibrosis, what Ive read is that theyre really not sure what it is about coffee that causes this beneficial effect; its possible that caffeine plays some part in the process, but it seems to be more complicated than just popping caffeine pills would indicate.

[beto]

I've never heard or read that black coffee without sugar effects blood sugar level. .Do you have a link to any research?

As far as decaf goes, the studies Ive read indicate it does not have a similar effect to regular coffee with regard to fibrosis, nor do other caffeinated drinks.

Caffeine does raise some corticosteroids, and can raise cortosol   levels, which can cause the body to produce glucose from glycogen stores (or so I've read)...That said, I have been aware of information regarding the positives liver benefits of coffee, and one report I read did say decaffeinated was not as effective.   Part of the alternative use of coffee enemas (Gerson, etc) was this believed benefit.  I love coffee, so...nice to think it may help.  I do believe it does raise my blood pressure though which is a struggle for me.

[Mugwump]

Caffeine does raise some corticosteroids, and can raise cortosol   levels, which can cause the body to produce glucose from glycogen stores (or so I've read)...That said, I have been aware of information regarding the positives liver benefits of coffee, and one report I read did say decaffeinated was not as effective.   Part of the alternative use of coffee enemas (Gerson, etc) was this believed benefit.  I love coffee, so...nice to think it may help.  I do believe it does raise my blood pressure though which is a struggle for me.

Don't forget that the production and conversion of usable glucose is done by the liver. So you can have a hard time with caffeine if you are diabetic because after taking a shot of insulin you can become hypoglycemic later on after taking insulin because over the period of a few hours the liver has run short of fast available glycogen stores. Most stimulants in the class of caffeine cause the liver to use up more sugar and is the reason why you get a sudden burst of a "speed jag" out of caffeine in the first place.

The same way that you can very quickly become hypoglycemic by drinking alcohol, which prevents the liver from converting glucose and is the reason why you quickly become intoxicated. Which in turn is just a sudden impediment to sugars that feed the brain. Then later on after you are finished drinking you can experience the wonderful effects of a hangover which is essentially more advanced hypoglycemia and is part of the reason why so many teenagers and children are more easily killed by the unrestrained consumption of alcohol.

[Flaco]

Regarding caffeine and its utility in mitigating liver fibrosis, what Ive read is that theyre really not sure what it is about coffee that causes this beneficial effect; its possible that caffeine plays some part in the process,[snip]

...and let us not forget the buzz of a few years ago that coffee may delay (or prevent?) the onset of type 2 diabetes. http://coffeeandhealth.org/topic-overview/coffee-consumption-and-type-2-diabetes/
Interestingly, decaf is included in this article:

Decaffeinated coffee and tea and risk of type 2 diabetes
As with caffeinated coffee, the majority of published studies which have evaluated the relationship between decaffeinated coffee or tea drinking and risk of type 2 diabetes have reported similar negative associations.

A bit off topic, I'm afraid, but I thought it was interesting. Just based on that article (and I admit I have not looked at others) it appears that coffee and tea, decaf or not, may benefit the liver in numerous ways. Still, the above-referenced article mentions drinking a LOT of coffee or tea, what would seem (to me at least) to be way beyond the limit of "moderation." What side effects might that have?