The Institute for Scientific Information on Coffee (ISIC) welcomes the results of a new report, Diet, Nutrition, Physical Activity and Liver Cancer, published in partnership with the American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR) and the World Cancer Research Fund’s International Continuous Update Project (CUP)1.  The report finds that drinking coffee may lower risk for liver cancer, a disease that is the second leading cause of cancer deaths worldwide2. In Europe, approximately 63,500 new cases are diagnosed annually3.

Coffee contains a variety of naturally occurring compounds that are currently being studied for their anti-cancer potential. “It may act on liver enzymes that eliminate carcinogens, for example,” said Stephen Hursting, Ph.D., M.P.H., researcher at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill and one of the CUP expert panellists. “Because coffee is consumed in such a variety of ways, however, it is not yet possible to determine the amount or style of preparation that provides optimal protection.”

Collectively analysing 34 studies involving over 8.2 million people and over 24,500 cases of liver cancer, the new report is the most in-depth review to date of global research linking diet, physical activity, and weight to the risk of developing liver cancer. It follows a 2013 CUP report that found coffee to be protective against endometrial cancer4.

The findings of the report provide further support to the body of research that suggests moderate coffee consumption (3-5 cups per day) may reduce the risk of developing liver cancer. For more information on the potential protective effects of coffee consumption on liver function, please visit our topic overview