di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri (IRFMN) in Milan, Italy showed that
drinking coffee may help reduce the risk of liver cancer. Led by Francesca
Bravi, the team combined all published data to find the link between coffee
drinking and hepatocellar carcinoma (HCC). HCC is a primary cancer of the liver.
Liver cancer is the third largest cause of cancer deaths around the world, just
behind lung and stomach cancer. At least 11 studies that were conducted in
southern Europe and Japan were the foundation of the IRFMN study. The IRFMN
study was a meta-analysis of published studies on HCC that included how much
coffee patients had consumed. Researchers combined all published data to obtain
an overall quantitative estimate of the association between coffee consumption
and HCC development.The figures showed that coffee drinkers have at least 41
percent reduction of HCC risk compared to those who never consumed coffee. The
beneficial effects of coffee consumption were highly progressive in studies that
were done in southern Europe, widely drank, and from Japan, where coffee
drinking is less frequent, and in subjects with chronic liver diseasesAnimal and
laboratory studies have shown that some compounds in coffee may act as blocking
agents that work by reacting with enzymes involved in carcinogenic
detoxification. Caffeine is a component of coffee that has been shown to give
beneficial effects on the liver enzymes and other enzymes of the body. Coffee
consumption has also been linked to reduced risks of liver diseases and
cirrhosis, both of which can lead to liver cancer.Separate studies also show
that caffeine may aggravate the symptoms of menopause or intensify the effects
of certain antibiotics. On the other hand, heavy caffeine consumption may cause
miscarriage. Other animal studies show that skin cream added with caffeine may
lower the risk of skin cancer in mice.While the study found a statistically
significant relationship between drinking coffee and having less liver cancer,
the authors note that it needs to be repeated in other groups. The authors note
that despite the consistency of the results of the study, it is difficult to
derive causal collaboration based on the observational studies alone. It may be
that patients with digestive tract diseases, including liver disorders,
naturally reduce their coffee consumption, even though avoidance of coffee is
not routinely recommended. While the study found a statistically significant
relationship between drinking coffee and having less liver cancer, the authors
note that it needs to be repeated in other groups to be more concrete.The IRFMN
researchers note that the perception of coffee consumption was solely based on
patients' reporting, although the recollection of coffee drinking has been shown
to be accurate. Factors like hepatitis B and C, cirrhosis, social class
indictors, alcohol use, and smoking suggests that these factors did not
influence the results of the studies. The results from this research may provide
some evidence of a link between coffee consumption and liver cancer. However,
the interpretation of this research remains unclear because of lack of long-term
evaluation of the results of the said study. Reference :
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/08/070801112146.htm