Some people can’t start their day without a fresh cup of hot coffee, or two. Now, new research suggests that may be a good thing.
Scientists from Japan found people who regularly drink coffee have a much lower risk of developing liver cancer compared with people who don’t drink coffee.
The team analyzed a public health report on 90,452 people in Japan. The data allowed them to track a large number of patients with liver cancer and their coffee consumption habits.
They found people who drank one to two cups of coffee per day had half the risk of developing liver cancer compared to those who rarely or never drank coffee. For those drinking three to four cups of coffee per day the preventative effect was even greater.
The team found no association between green tea consumption and liver cancer risk.
The research appears in the latest issue of Journal of the National Cancer Institute.
Because liver cancer usually does not cause symptoms until the cancer is in its later stages, it is seldom found early, thus, it is often referred to as a “silent disease.” There are no screening tests for liver cancer, and small tumors are hard to find by physical exams.