Coffee Consumption is Associated with a Lower Incidence of Fatty Liver in Middle-aged Men

Abstract

Whilst accumulating reports have shown the beneficial effects of coffee against chronic liver diseases, the effects of coffee against fatty liver have not yet been reported. In this cross-sectional and the follow-up studies, we investigated the effects of coffee on the production of fatty liver in healthy males, using ultrasonography. In the follow-up study, annual changes in daily coffee intake during the 5-year study period were compared between subjects who appeared to have fatty liver (fatty liver group) and those who did not appear to have fatty liver (non-fatty liver group) in the matched study according to age, body mass index (BMI) and daily exercise level. The effects of changes in daily coffee intake between both groups on the development of fatty liver were investigated after adjustments for related factors, such as BMI, daily coffee and alcohol intake and exercise level. In the cross-sectional study, the subjects with fatty liver were revealed to have a lower daily coffee intake than those without fatty liver. In the follow-up study, a significant difference in the changes in daily coffee intake was observed between the fatty liver and non-fatty liver groups with a decrease in daily coffee intake observed in the former group, compared with the change in the latter group. Further, daily coffee intake was negatively correlated with the development of fatty liver after adjustments for related factors. These findings suggest a protective effect of coffee against fatty liver.