As if I needed a reason other than the scintillating smell to drink coffee every morning, these carefully roasted beans come with a whole host of accompanying benefits. They have some decent doses of essential nutrients, like riboflavin, magnesium, and potassium, and consuming a cup regularly also lowers your risk of type II diabetes.
Coffee can protect against alzheimer’s and dementia, lower your risk of Parkinson’s, and it can also help fight depression. It’s literally a magical liquid made of all things good that does a whole world of good.
These benefits all seem kind of distant somehow, though, so why don’t we talk about something closer to the heart of being a 20-something? Or a 30- or 40-something? Or… 50-something? Or, ya know, just closer to the heart of being alive these days.
You and Your Liver
As one of the largest organs in the human body, the liver plays a significant role in, well, living. Honestly, I would not be surprised if that’s why it got its name.
All of the food we eat contains nutrients that we need to function—the liver is what converts all of those nutrients into things our bodies use. Your liver also takes all of the toxins we consume and filters it out.
While there’s a lot more that the liver does and it’s obviously a lot more nuanced than that, let’s just look at the liver as this endlessly and tirelessly working organ who never wants anything bad for you.
You, Your Liver, and Happy Hour
Your liver and alcohol are not exactly the best of friends. Regardless of whether this super important organ is right or not, alcohol’s pretty toxic to it. It’s a two-fold problem. When the liver breaks down the alcohol, an enzyme called acetaldehyde is released, which is toxic to the liver.
The ‘double-whammy’ of alcohol consumption is that your liver needs water to function, and alcohol is a diuretic. The very same reason you wake up with a splitting headache the day after imbibing a few too many brewskies is also one of the reasons your liver is quietly crying.
Too much acetaldehyde can result in fatty liver disease, alcoholic hepatitis, and cirrhosis. It can also lead to cancer.
You, Your Liver, Alcohol, and Coffee
You maybe have gotten the wrong idea from all of the stuff I was saying before. Alcohol is fun and I’m not telling you to stop hitting up trivia night or having a margarita on taco Tuesday. I mean, what’s pork belly without a lime margarita to wash it down?
Enjoy your booze in moderation.
To lend this large organ a hand in combating the negative effects of alcohol, there’s some pretty convincing evidence that coffee is the miracle drink you’re looking for.
Coffee can reduce the risk of cirrhosis by up to 44%. Seriously. There were a series of nine studies conducted that involved over 430,000 individuals. Eight of those nine studies corroborated coffee’s magical powers. While two cups a day was enough to reduce the risk of liver disease by 44%, drinking four more led to a decrease of up to 65%.
Another interesting discovery was that both regular and decaf coffee provided the same health benefits to your liver. So if it’s evening time and you’re concerned about drinking coffee too late, fear not! Check out some decaf coffee options and enjoy a cup at any time of the day!
Okay, Cool, But How?
Like many things in the scientific realm, nobody’s totally sure, but there are some pretty convincing theories. There are several definites to go along with the educated guesses, so let’s start with what we know.
A cup of coffee reduces the risk of hepatocellular carcinoma. It’s the most common type of liver cancer, so, automatically, a morning cup of java is giving your liver a leg up. Coffee contains a bunch of naturally occurring compounds that promote anti-cancerous behaviour, and your liver enzymes will definitely thank you for that.
On top of that, coffee also has anti-inflammatory properties and antioxidant effects, which can go a good long way against preventing cirrhosis, which is largely caused by getting blackout drunk a few too many times.
Unfortunately, this isn’t a world where alcohol can in any way be considered “healthy.” There may be a parallel universe where that works out, but this article isn’t there, at least as far as I know.
While coffee can’t turn back time and stop you from taking that fifth tequila shot, it can help increase the chances that your liver comes out of your party phase (mostly) intact. Drink your alcohol at night, your java in the morning, and enjoy life!