Drinking coffee helps prevent damage from alcohol abuse

For some of us, coffee is the only way we can function in the world. Whereas sprinkling cocaine on your corn flakes, as well as being socially frowned upon, may seem slightly impractical, the glorious caffeine hit of coffee is just what we need in the morning to wake up.

Now, due to a recent review of previously conducted studies by scientists at the University of Southampton it appears that there is even more evidence to suggest that coffee is the elixir of life.

Research and studies have already gone some way to proving that drinking coffee can decrease the risk of getting Alzheimers, type 2 diabetes, and Parkinson’s disease. Now, new studies have suggested that drinking coffee may reduce the risk of damage to your liver from alcohol consumption.

Double espresso shot to Tequila shot

The review, led by Dr. Oliver Kennedy, pooled together results from nine separate studies conducted in the past. The studies looked at the occurrence of liver cirrhosis and coffee intake in a total of 432,133 participants.

So, as well as being the only thing that will get you through that vodka induced hangover, coffee may also protect your liver from the kicking you gave it last night.

Liver cirrhosis is a condition characterised by extensive scarring to the liver, often causing a fatal loss of liver function. One of the biggest causes of liver cirrhosis is long-term, excessive alcohol consumption. Years of going clubbing every week can’t hurt though, right?

Through analysis of the data, Dr. Kennedy and his team discovered that coffee has potentially protective properties, and even drinking one cup of coffee a day could reduce your chances of liver damage by up to 22%.

The study also suggests that this percentage could increase exponentially with the more cups of coffee you drink. So if you drink four cups of coffee a day, despite shaking like a leaf, you could be 65% less likely to cause significant damage to your liver through alcohol.

Despite the potential for coffee to save your liver from the masochistic treatment you put it through every Friday night, it is important to see that this is not a free pass to get rat-arsed every week without consequence.

Dr. Kennedy said: “Coffee is a complex mixture containing hundreds of chemical compounds, and it is unknown which of these is responsible for protecting the liver.”

He added: “Patients also shouldn’t take the findings to mean loading up on frothy caramel lattes packed with sugar and topped with whipped cream is a good way to prevent liver disease.”

The researchers have now called for clinical trials to take place to decipher which of the chemical compounds found within coffee is accountable for its protective qualities. This will hopefully help scientists and doctors combat liver cirrhosis and damage in patients at risk.