Abstract
Coffee drinking seems to have several beneficial effects on health outcomes. However, the effect on hepatic steatosis, depending on a high alcohol consumption (AFLD, alcoholic fatty liver disease) or on metabolic factors (non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, NAFLD), is still equivocal. Thus, we aimed to explore the potential association between coffee consumption and the presence and severity of hepatic steatosis in people with NAFLD or AFLD. In this cross-sectional study, coffee drinking was recorded using a semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire, and categorized as yes vs. no and as 0, 1, 2, ≥3. The degree of fatty liver was assessed through a standardized ultrasound examination (score 0 to 6, with higher values reflecting higher severity). Liver steatosis was classified as NAFLD or AFLD on daily alcohol intake >30 g/day for men and >20 g/day for women. This study included 2819 middle-aged participants; the great majority were coffee drinkers (86.1%). After adjusting for 12 potential confounders, drinking coffee was not associated with decreased odds for NAFLD (n = 916) (odds ratio, OR = 0.93; 95% confidence intervals, CI: 0.72–1.20) or AFLD (n = 276) (OR = 1.20; 95% CI: 0.66–2.0). The consumption of coffee (categorized as yes vs. no), or an increased consumption of coffee were not associated with the presence of mild, moderate or severe liver steatosis in either NAFLD or AFLD. In conclusion, coffee intake was not associated with any lower odds of hepatic steatosis in either non-alcoholic or alcoholic forms in this large cohort of South Italian individuals.
Highlights
Coffee drinking is a very common habit in Western countries
After adjusting for 12 potential confounders, drinking coffee was not associated with any decreased odds of having NAFLD (n = 916) (OR = 0.93; 95% confidence intervals (CIs): 0.72–1.20; p = 0.28)
Similar to NAFLD, taking those not consuming coffee as a reference, people that drank 3 or more cups of coffee did not have decreased odds for liver steatosis (OR = 1.13; 95% CI: 0.58–2.21; p = 0.68) (Table 3, first column)
Summary
Coffee drinking is a very common habit in Western countries. Current research suggests that almost 85% of the American population drink at least one coffee a day for various reasons, including to improve mental alertness, concentration, and reduce fatigue [1].It has been reported that coffee has several beneficial effects on human health. Coffee drinking is a very common habit in Western countries. Current research suggests that almost 85% of the American population drink at least one coffee a day for various reasons, including to improve mental alertness, concentration, and reduce fatigue [1]. Coffee consumption was reported to significantly decrease overall mortality in a large European cohort involving about 500,000 subjects followed up for 16 years [2]. Other studies have reported the beneficial effects of coffee for several medical conditions, including diabetes mellitus [3] and Parkinson’s disease [4]. Coffee consumption seems to have beneficial effects for some important hepatic medical conditions, such as hepatitis C virus infection [5], fibrosis and cirrhosis [6], and hepatocellular carcinoma [7]
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