If you’re the kind of person who can't go without a cup of joe in the morning (or all day), then congratulations, because science is officially on your side! A brand new study has just revealed some really good news for daily coffee drinkers, and your liver is going to be a happy camper after hearing this.

What Is Science Saying About That Latte?

This new coffee study tracked over 350,000 people spanning a 10-year period and found that daily coffee drinkers are doing their liver a massive favor with every sip. According to this research, drinking five or more cups a day was linked to a 32% lower chance of cirrhosis, a late stage of liver disease, and a 47% lower risk of liver cancer. This is NOT a small margin; in fact, it's pretty significant. And before you say anything here, no, you don't have to be addicted to caffeine to benefit from the brew. Decaf drinkers saw the best results, since too much caffeine can still have a negative impact on the heart. This suggests that the benefit is coming from antioxidants rather than caffeine itself.

Getty Images
Getty Images
Getty Images

How Exactly Is Coffee Doing This?

Dr. Bill Langley points to the fact that coffee contains around 1,000 different compounds, and it's guaranteed that at least ONE of those compounds is doing a massive favor for your liver. Although scientists haven't exactly pinned down which one of these compounds is responsible, the angle on antioxidants makes a lot of sense here. If you didn't know, antioxidants help fight against inflammation and cell damage, both major factors in liver disease. The fact that decaffeinated coffee works just as well really only strengthens this theory.

Don't Start Thinking Coffee Will Solve All of Your Problems…

Before you try to use this as an excuse to down eight straight cups every day, there are a few caveats to keep in mind here. Dr. Langley made it very clear that coffee won't offset things that actively harm your liver, such as obesity and heavy alcohol use. Coffee is a benefit, but certainly not a free pass to go on a bender. Again, too much caffeine can have a massive negative impact on your heart, so if you want the liver boost without the extra caffeine, using decaf is a solid and smart move. It’s like a bonus perk of something you were already doing, just not a miracle cure, though it would be really awesome if it was.

Keep Drinking That Coffee! (But Definitely Try Decaff)

Here is one of the rare times when something you genuinely enjoy doing is actively supporting and doing something good for your body. That morning cup-of-joe, the afternoon pick-me-up, it all adds up to helping your liver. Just because those antioxidants are benefiting your liver doesn't mean you should use it as an excuse to skip the gym, though. And it definitely doesn't mean you should order another round. Your liver will thank you later.

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Gallery Credit: Joni Sweet

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