Even
more, the reason to prepare a pot of coffee each morning!
If you
enjoy a cup of coffee first thing in the morning, you (and your tummy) are in
luck. According to a recent study published in Nutrients,
consuming coffee can benefit your digestive system, particularly your stomach
and liver.
The
review, funded by The Institute for Scientific Information on Coffee, looked at
194 studies and found that moderate coffee consumption (three to five cups per
day) had no adverse effects on the digestive tract. Coffee use has been related
to a healthier gut microbiota composition (keeping the population of your
body's gut bacteria beneficial), sound effects on your digestive system and
colon, and even a reduced risk of liver disease.
What
is the mechanism behind this? It's all linked to the naturally occurring
caffeine in coffee. Caffeine in coffee can aid in increasing the production of
gastrin, a digestive hormone, and hydrochloric acid in the stomach. Boosting
these helps break down food in the stomach while also stimulating
cholecystokinin. This hormone induces bile secretion, which is necessary for
digestion.
This,
of course, contradicts specific previous assertions about coffee, which some
people felt could cause stomach problems. On the other hand, this review debunks the idea and digs deeper into how coffee can help with digestion.
How
does this benefit the liver?
While
this review covers a variety of ways coffee can aid digestion, one of the most
important points it makes is how coffee promotes liver function and lowers the
chance of liver disease such as hepatocellular carcinoma, a frequent type of
liver cancer.
This
notion is backed up by a study published in BMC Public Health in 2021, which found that drinking three to four cups of coffee per day can
reduce the risk of chronic liver illnesses, including fatty liver disease and
liver cancer.
Thankfully,
a couple of cups of coffee (even caffeinated coffee) every day is still totally
safe for one's health. One hundred milligrams of caffeine are in an 8-ounce cup
of coffee; the FDA advises 400 mg per day. That's the equivalent of four cups
of coffee every day!
So drink up—indeed, it's beneficial to your health! Especially if you're going for a black drink.