The journal Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology brought the good news to java junkies this month. After authors conducted a meta-analysis of 14 studies from 1966 through 2012, they determined that coffee intake and liver cancer—the sixth most common cancer in the world and third deadliest—were inversely related: Coffee drinkers were 40% less likely than nondrinkers to develop liver cancer. And high drinkers slashed their risk by 50%. Why is coffee so good for your liver? The authors credit coffee’s bioactive compounds and antioxidants, which may inhibit cancer. This is more good news about coffee amid a recent burst of it: An August study in Mayo Clinic Proceedings found that a small amount of coffee is safe for your heart and isn’t linked to an increased risk of cardiovascular disease. “Coffee has a lot of good features,” says the author of that study, Carl Lavie, MD, professor of medicine and medical director of Cardiac Rehabilitation and Prevention at Ochsner Clinical School in New Orleans. Previous research has shown that it’s beneficial for dementia, depression, stroke risk, and even asthma, he says. Java up, but stick to three cups per day, max. “It sure looks like that amount of coffee appears to be safe and may even have some health benefits,” Dr. Lavie says. More from Prevention: Which is Healthier, Coffee or Tea?
