Daily Coffee Consumption Linked to Lower Risk of Liver Disease and Cancer in Large UK Study

A prospective analysis of 354,957 UK Biobank participants aged 40-69, published July 1 in *Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology*, examined coffee intake and incident cirrhosis, hepatocellular carcinoma, and liver-related death. Participants were free of cirrhosis or HCC at baseline; coffee consumption was self-reported.

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Cirrhosis, a permanent liver scar, affects about 1 in 400 U.S. adults; hepatocellular carcinoma accounts for roughly 85 % of liver cancers and is the fifth leading cause of cancer death worldwide.

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Risk reductions rose with higher intake: 1-2 cups/day linked to 20 % lower cirrhosis, 24 % lower cancer, 31 % lower death; 3-4 cups/day to 35 % lower cirrhosis and cancer, 41 % lower death; >=5 cups/day to 32 % lower cirrhosis, 47 % lower cancer, 42 % lower death. Both caffeinated and decaf coffee showed similar associations.

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The study was led by Hyunseok Kim, MD, a transplant hepatologist at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, and commented on by Michelle Routhenstein, a preventive cardiology dietitian at Entirely Nourished.

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If causal, regular coffee could be a low-cost, widely accessible tool to reduce liver disease burden; the dose-response pattern suggests incremental benefit, though added sugar may blunt protection.

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Lead author Hyunseok Kim noted that linking epidemiologic data with MRI and proteomic biomarkers strengthens confidence that coffee is associated with healthier liver biology beyond lifestyle factors. Routhenstein emphasized that coffee’s antioxidants—chlorogenic, caffeic, and ferulic acids—may reduce oxidative stress and inflammation, offering a plausible protective pathway.

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The authors caution that the observational design cannot prove causality, self-reported coffee intake may introduce measurement error, and the effect of added sugars was not fully quantified.

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The study did not examine whether benefits vary by ethnicity or in people with existing metabolic disorders, leaving these questions for future research.

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• “The results from this study are not surprising since we have prior research suggesting coffee’s positive role in liver and cardiometabolic health,” — Michelle Routhenstein, preventive cardiology dietitian at Entirely Nourished

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• “One of the most exciting aspects of this study is that we were able to connect epidemiologic observations with objective biological evidence,” — Hyunseok Kim, MD, transplant hepatologist at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center

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• “We found consistent associations across clinical outcomes, MRI-based liver imaging, and proteomic biomarkers, which strengthens confidence that coffee is linked to healthier liver biology rather than simply healthier lifestyle habits,” — Hyunseok Kim, MD

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• “Coffee contains antioxidants such as chlorogenic acid, caffeic acid, and ferulic acid, which help reduce oxidative stress and inflammation, which may help protect liver cells from damage while also supporting cardiometabolic health,” — Michelle Routhenstein

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