Good news for all lovers of an invigorating drink: only 5-6 cups of coffee a day can protect you from non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAJBP).
This was reported by the staff of the University of Naples at the International Congress on Liver Disease 2016, which ended in Barcelona.
Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease is characterized by the accumulation in the body of a significant amount of fat (more than 5-10% of the liver mass), which leads to an increasing change in its functions and a variety of symptoms: hepatomegaly, dyspepsia, asthenic syndrome, jaundice, itchy skin; in the analyzes - increased activity of aminotransferases and bilirubin level, hypercholesterolemia, hyperglycemia.
Studies in recent years have increasingly told us that regular use of coffee is beneficial for the liver. A new work by Italian scientists demonstrates that coffee does not just reduce the risk of NAJBP, but it can also reverse the pathological changes caused by the disease.
Dr. Vincenzo Lembo conducted a series of experiments with mice, which were daily fed a serving of coffee equivalent to 5 cups of espresso for a 70-pound person. During the study period, the mice improved the key markers of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, although they were constantly kept on a fat diet. It is noteworthy that thanks to coffee rodents did not gain weight so quickly.
According to Dr. Lembo and his co-workers, coffee increases the level of the protein zoneline (ZO-1), responsible for the permeability of the intestine.
Scientists are sure that it is the impaired intestinal permeability that aggravates the course of NAJBP and leads to further damage to the liver.
The Secretary-General of the European Association for the Study of the Liver (EASL), Prof. Laurent Castera, expressed admiration for the results of the work of the Italian colleagues: "Although it does not prove that we should drink more coffee, the results obtained are extremely useful for future research, for a better understanding of the therapeutic role of coffee in liver diseases ».
medbe. en.