Sooner in Tampa
6/13/2006, 07:39 AM
:D See...coffee is good for you.
Now drink up...all night long...and then hit the joe in the morning.
A U.S. study finds coffee may reduce the risk of liver cirrhosis caused by excessive alcoholic consumption, researchers reported in Monday's Archives of Internal Medicine.
The study showed one cup of coffee per day cut the risk of alcoholic cirrhosis by 20 percent, and four cups a day reduced the risk by 80 percent, said researchers from the Kaiser Permanente Health Care Program in Oakland, California.
The study involved more than 125,000 men and women of different ethnic backgrounds. The participants ranged from teetotalers to heavy drinkers, but the risk reductions rate was estimated on an overall basis.
Researchers said it remains unknown what ingredient in coffee works to protect the liver from the damage caused by alcohol. Results of previous studies have led to the speculation that caffeine could be the answer. The protective effect was not found among tea drinkers in the study.
Researchers also believe "the fact that coffee is also frequently taken with added cream, milk, sugar or other substances adds more possibilities for health effects."
Cirrhosis is an irreversible scarring of the liver that affects the organ's ability to filter toxins from the blood. Not all heavy drinkers develop cirrhosis.Researchers said the study does not suggest that drinkers take more coffee.
"Even if coffee is protective, the primary approach to reduction of alcoholic cirrhosis is avoidance or cessation of heavy alcohol drinking," they wrote.
Source: Xinhua
Now drink up...all night long...and then hit the joe in the morning.
A U.S. study finds coffee may reduce the risk of liver cirrhosis caused by excessive alcoholic consumption, researchers reported in Monday's Archives of Internal Medicine.
The study showed one cup of coffee per day cut the risk of alcoholic cirrhosis by 20 percent, and four cups a day reduced the risk by 80 percent, said researchers from the Kaiser Permanente Health Care Program in Oakland, California.
The study involved more than 125,000 men and women of different ethnic backgrounds. The participants ranged from teetotalers to heavy drinkers, but the risk reductions rate was estimated on an overall basis.
Researchers said it remains unknown what ingredient in coffee works to protect the liver from the damage caused by alcohol. Results of previous studies have led to the speculation that caffeine could be the answer. The protective effect was not found among tea drinkers in the study.
Researchers also believe "the fact that coffee is also frequently taken with added cream, milk, sugar or other substances adds more possibilities for health effects."
Cirrhosis is an irreversible scarring of the liver that affects the organ's ability to filter toxins from the blood. Not all heavy drinkers develop cirrhosis.Researchers said the study does not suggest that drinkers take more coffee.
"Even if coffee is protective, the primary approach to reduction of alcoholic cirrhosis is avoidance or cessation of heavy alcohol drinking," they wrote.
Source: Xinhua