Here is some exciting news for coffee lovers that would probably get them more excited than coffee would! Intake of high amounts of coffee every day could result in a healthier liver.
Coffee may help keep Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD) at bay, according to a recent study.
NAFLD occurs due to the deposition of extra fat on the liver that is not a result of alcohol consumption.
Daily doses of coffee, if included in the diet of people with NAFLD, may aid in reversing this liver disorder by improving the condition of the gut.
The team from the University of Napoli revealed that consumption of coffee increases the levels of the protein zonulin in the body, which in turn effectively reduces the permeability of the gut or intestines.
This substantially improves the intestines' ability to filter out harmful substances, which would have otherwise ended up in the liver, causing damage.
"Previous studies have confirmed how coffee can reverse the damage of NAFLD but this is the first to demonstrate that it can influence the permeability of the intestine. The results also show that coffee can reverse NAFLD-related problems such as ballooning degeneration, a form of liver cell degeneration," said study author Vincenzo Lembo.
The findings are based on a recent study conducted on mice and presented at The International Liver Congress 2016 in Barcelona, Spain.
The study found that doses of caffeine (equivalent to six cups of espresso coffee for a 154-pound person) improved several key markers of NAFLD in mice that were being fed a high-fat diet. These mice gained less weight compared to the other mice that were fed the same diet without the doses of caffeine.
NAFLD is, however, on the rise and is related to the steady increase in obesity among people. Unhealthy lifestyles, which include the lack of nutritious diet and daily exercise, are linked to the trend. This liver disease is not to be taken lightly, as it can lead to fibrosis and life-threatening cirrhosis, which are severe liver conditions.
Photo: Alexandra E Rust | Flickr
