Coffee May Help Fatty Liver Disease, Study Says

A study presented at the International Liver Congress 2016 in Barcelona, Spain, shows that coffee intake may help people with Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver disease. The study shows that coffee raises the level of  a  protein called Zonulin (ZO)-1, which lessens the permeability of the intestines. It is believed that increased intestinal permability contributes to liver injury and worsens Non-Alcoholic Liver Disease.

Vincenzo Lembo study author from the University of Napoli says, “Previous studies have confirmed how coffee can reverse the damage of NAFLD but this is the first to demonstrate that it can influence the permeability of the intestine. The results also show that coffee can reverse NAFLD-related problems such as ballooning degeneration, a form of liver cell degeneration.”

Researchers analysed three different groups of mice given different diets  over the  12 week study period. Group one received a standard diet, group two had a high fat diet and group three was given a high fat diet plus a decaffeinated coffee solution.

Coffee supplementation added to a high fat diet significantly reduced ALT, (an enzyme which increases in the blood when the liver is damaged) , and the amount of fat in the liver cells, and ballooning degeneration.

For more of the latest in nutritional/ lifestyle research check all of my blog posts at www.drsobo.com/blog