Coffee and Liver Health: What a Study of 355,000 People Reveals

A large-scale study published in the journal Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology has identified a link between regular coffee consumption and a lower risk of serious liver disease. The research was conducted using data from 354,957 participants in the UK Biobank database, followed over approximately 13 years, and was coordinated by an international team of specialists from Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. It was published online on 1 July 2026.

The authors built on prior evidence regarding coffee's beneficial effects on the liver, whilst noting that large-scale studies combining biomarkers, imaging examinations, and blood protein analyses to confirm these associations had been lacking until now.

Lower risk of cirrhosis and liver cancer in coffee drinkers

None of the participants had cirrhosis or liver cancer (hepatocellular carcinoma) at the start of the study. The researchers found that as coffee consumption increased, the risk of serious liver disease decreased gradually. The greatest benefits were observed in people who drank at least five cups of coffee per day.

Compared with people who did not drink coffee at all, those who drank a minimum of five cups daily had:

• a 32% lower risk of liver cirrhosis;
• a 47% lower risk of hepatocellular carcinoma (liver cancer);
• a 42% lower risk of death caused by liver disease.

Benefits also seen at moderate consumption of 1–2 cups per day

Beneficial effects were also observed in people who consumed just one or two cups of coffee daily, who likewise had significantly lower risks of cirrhosis, liver cancer, and liver-related death compared with those who drank no coffee at all. The greater the consumption, the more pronounced the risk reduction — a pattern the researchers describe as a "dose-response" relationship.

Decaffeinated coffee shows similar results

The positive associations held regardless of age, metabolic factors, or lifestyle, and were observed with both caffeinated and decaffeinated coffee. This led the researchers to consider the role of other compounds found in coffee, beyond caffeine itself, in protecting the liver.

Less fat and inflammation in the liver

A subset of participants (nearly 29,000 people) underwent MRI scans of the liver, whilst blood protein profiles were analysed in over 44,000 participants. Those who consumed more coffee showed lower levels of fat and iron accumulated in the liver, as well as reduced concentrations of proteins associated with hepatic inflammation and fibrosis.

The researchers conclude that the clinical, imaging, and laboratory findings, taken together, support the notion of a link between coffee consumption and better liver health. They consider the data to provide grounds in favour of moderate consumption of unsweetened coffee as a potentially simple preventive measure against liver disease.