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Coffee drinkers may be protected against liver problems in later life.
They have a 21 per cent lower risk of developing chronic liver disease than non-coffee drinkers, say researchers who studied the medical histories and coffee consumption of half a million Britons.
The drink contains compounds called kahweol and cafestol which are thought to dampen down inflammation which can damage the liver. The compounds are at higher levels in ground coffee.
Caffeine, meanwhile, is believed to combat harmful liver scarring. Dr Oliver Kennedy, author of the study published in the journal BMC Public Health from the University of Southampton, said: 'Coffee is widely accessible and the benefits we see may mean it could offer a potential preventative treatment.'
One in three Britons are thought to have early non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. It is more common in the overweight.
It can lead to chronic liver disease if it gets worse. Chronic liver disease can also be caused by excessive drinking, and viral hepatitis.
But researchers found coffee appears to ward off the serious condition, with those who drink it regularly 49 per cent less likely to die from chronic liver disease than non-coffee drinkers.
![Coffee drinkers may be protected against liver problems in later life. They have a 21 per cent lower risk of developing chronic liver disease than non-coffee drinkers, say researchers who studied the medical histories and coffee consumption of half a million Britons [Stock image]](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2021/06/22/01/44512079-0-image-a-117_1624321396055.jpg)
