Coffee is the morning pick-me-up of millions – every day people drink coffee to increase wakefulness and improve concentration and focus. A new report has shown that regular coffee intake could also reduce liver cancer risk caused by daily alcohol consumption.

Share on Pinterest Higher consumption of coffee may protect against liver cancer.

According to research conducted by the London, UK-based World Cancer Research Fund International, drinking three alcoholic drinks a day can be enough to cause liver cancer.

Amanda McLean, Director of World Cancer Research Fund UK, says: “Around three or more drinks per day can be enough to cause liver cancer. Until now we were uncertain about the amount of alcohol likely to lead to liver cancer. But the research reviewed in this report is strong enough, for the first time, to be more specific about this.”

The findings were published in the Continuous Update Project (CUP) 2015 report on “diet, nutrition, physical activity and liver cancer.” They are based on an analysis of 34 studies that included 8.2 million people – more than 24,500 of whom had liver cancer.

The American Cancer Society estimates that each year in the US there are around 35,660 new cases diagnosed with liver and around 24,550 people that die from liver and intrahepatic duct cancers.

Evidence emerged from the same research finding strong evidence that drinking coffee can reduce the risk of liver cancer. This discovery follows research the World Cancer Research Fund published in 2013 showing that coffee reduced the risk of womb cancer.

Dr. Kate Allen, Executive Director of Science and Public Affairs at World Cancer Research Fund International, says:

“The new findings around alcohol, obesity and coffee are particularly interesting. There are also interesting new suggestions relating to exercise and fish.”

“The evidence about the relationship between diet, nutrition, physical activity and cancer is becoming well established. We hope that these new findings will inform the debate about possible public health implications and policy responses,” she adds.