We all know coffee is a miracle drink – if only because the caffeine it supplies us helps us get through a busy day.
But coffee’s not just good for perking you up: there’s a wealth of scientific research to suggest that regular coffee consumption can do everything from reducing the risk of getting multiple sclerosis or coronary artery calcium; offer protection against type 2 diabetes, Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s; and can not only act as a painkiller in its own right but can even boost the effect of other painkillers.
Now there’s yet another string to coffee’s metaphorical bow: drinking up to three or four cups of coffee a day reduces your risk of developing and dying from chronic liver diseases, a new study by the University of Southampton has found, CNN reports. Take that, coffee haters.
Founder of Bulletproof Coffee and well-known ‘health hacker’ Dave Asprey was quick to promote this report, quipping on Instagram that you should “tag a friend who punched himself in the face by giving up coffee ‘to be healthy’.”
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The study suggests that coffee drinkers were 21% less likely to develop chronic liver disease, 20% less likely to develop chronic or fatty liver disease, and 49% less likely to die from chronic liver disease than non-coffee drinkers. Both ground caffeinated or decaffeinated coffee apparently provide a benefit, as well as even instant coffee.
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“Coffee is widely accessible, and the benefits we see from our study may mean it could offer a potential preventative treatment for chronic liver disease,” Dr Oliver Kennedy, the study’s author, relates.
“This would be especially valuable in countries with lower income and worse access to healthcare and where the burden of chronic liver disease is highest.”
Of course, not all coffee is created equal – and depending on how you take your coffee, your mileage may vary. Enjoying as much as 3 or 4 long blacks a day might do you good, but knocking back even a single Starbucks-esque, heavily sugared or cream-filled coffee a day could contribute to adverse health outcomes.
Also: caffeine addiction is a great way to ruin your sleep cycle and give you anxiety.
But still: this study provides yet more evidence that if you keep to a reasonable level of consumption, and coffee works for you and your lifestyle, there’s no reason to give coffee up simply because “it’s unhealthy.”
Put that in your cup and drink it.