A study from the University of Coimbra (Portugal) revealed that caffeine, polyphenols and other natural products found in coffee can help reduce the severity of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in overweight people with diabetes.
NAFLD is a collective term for liver disorders caused by the accumulation of fat in the liver. They can cause cirrhosis, which can progress to cirrhosis (scarring of the liver) and liver cancer. NAFLD is not caused by excessive alcohol consumption, but is the result of an unhealthy lifestyle with little exercise and a high-calorie diet.
Study participants who drank more coffee had healthier livers. People with higher levels of caffeine were less likely to develop cirrhosis, while higher levels of decaffeinated coffee components were significantly associated with lower fatty liver index scores.
The study, published in the scientific journal Nutrients, reports that in overweight patients with type 2 diabetes, higher coffee consumption is associated with less severe nonalcoholic fatty liver disease.
The researchers surveyed 156 middle-aged obese participants about their coffee consumption, of whom 98 had type 2 diabetes, and provided 24-hour urine samples.
They were used to measure caffeine and non-caffeine metabolites, that is, the natural products of the breakdown of coffee by the body. This methodology follows a recent shift toward urinalysis rather than self-reported consumption, to obtain more specific quantitative data on coffee intake.
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Caffeine intake is associated with a reduction in cirrhosis in NAFLD and other chronic liver diseases. Other components of coffee, including polyphenols, have been suggested to reduce oxidative stress in the liver, thereby reducing the risk of fibrosis and improving glucose homeostasis in both healthy and overweight subjects. All these factors can also mitigate type 2 diabetes.
“Due to recent changes in diet and lifestyle, there are increasing rates of obesity and the incidence of type 2 diabetes and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, which can eventually develop into more serious and irreversible conditions, representing a burden on health care systems. is the first to point out that higher cumulative amounts of caffeine and non-caffeine metabolites in urine are associated with less NAFLD severity in people with overweight and type 2 diabetes.” Neuroscience and Cell Biology at the University of Coimbra.