Drinking coffee can have more benefits than you think

Do you ever find yourself feeling guilty while you savour that delicious flat white every morning? Well, fear not!

An article recently published by news.com.au reported that drinking coffee reduces the risk of cirrhosis, a type of liver damage in which the organ can’t function properly due to permanent scarring.

The article states that the study from Britain’s Southampton University analysed data from more than 430,000 people, and found that those who drink one to two cups of coffee per day reduce their risk of cirrhosis by 22-43 per cent.

Drinking three or four cups can reduce the risk by 57-65 per cent. Researchers found the antioxidants in coffee help to repair damaged cells in the liver and reduce inflammation.

Two cups of coffee per day can also help reduce alcoholics reduce the risk of cirrhosis by 38 per cent, although it’s important to note that this doesn’t  justify excessive drinking, or the systematic damage  it can cause. The study’s lead researcher Oliver Kennedy told The Washington Post that cirrhosis is not a disease to be underestimated.

“Cirrhosis is potentially fatal, and there is no cure as such,” he said. “Therefore, it is significant that the risk  of developing cirrhosis may be reduced by consumption of coffee, a cheap, ubiquitous, and  well-tolerated beverage.”

The most common causes of the disease are chronic alcohol abuse, long-term hepatitis B and hepatitis C infection, and the build-up of excess fat in the liver. According to census data, cirrhosis was responsible  for 1,772 deaths in Australia in 2013. It kills more than  a million people worldwide every year. So hey, if coffee can assist in preventing that, go forth and treat yourself to that third cup.
Full article go to:  www.news.com.au/lifestyle/food