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Coffee, Your Liver and You

July 18, 2006

The effects of excess consumption of alcohol on your liver are well-documented and include cirrhosis, which is the loss of functional liver cells. And while a new study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine suggests coffee may offset alcohol's effects on the liver and aid in the prevention of cirrhosis, the researchers say they don’t know whether the caffeine or another ingredient in the coffee provides the apparent benefit to your liver.

The study also found coffee drinkers had better results on blood tests used to measure liver function, whether or not they were heavy alcohol users.

In general, your best defense against alcohol-related liver disease continues to be the 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans that recommend moderate consumption of alcohol — defined as two drinks per day for men, and one per day for women.

Produced by ADA’s Public Relations Team