Are you diabetic, overweight and have fatty liver? Study reveals how coffee can help

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• Jan 19, 2023 | Kabir Chakraborty

Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD) occurs when a patient does not consume alcohol but nevertheless develops fatty liver.

Digital Desk: Is it possible to reduce the severity of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in overweight persons with Type 2 diabetes by consuming a little coffee? Caffeine, polyphenols, and other natural components found in coffee, according to a new study from the University of Coimbra and published in the journal Nutrients. Dr. Gaurav Gupta, Senior Consultant and Chief Surgeon of Liver Transplant and Hepato-pancreato-biliary (HPB) surgery at Fortis Hospital in Mumbai, decodes the study and concludes that coffee should be consumed in moderation in such cases and should only be used as a complementary dietary intervention.

What is non-alcoholic fatty liver disease?

Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD) occurs when a patient does not consume alcohol but nevertheless develops fatty liver. NAFLD is a group of illnesses that includes everything from simple fatty liver to hepatitis and liver cirrhosis. Diabetes, hypertension, being overweight or obese, excessive cholesterol levels, and hypothyroidism are the most common reasons.

Why are diabetic patients detected with fatty liver?

Diabetes patients, particularly those with Type 2 diabetes, have insulin resistance, which leads to high blood sugar levels. Diabetes is linked to other lifestyle disorders including high cholesterol and hypertension. All of these disorders generate fat accumulation in the liver, resulting in the condition known as fatty liver. This can escalate to liver inflammation, known as hepatitis, and eventually lead to liver damage and cirrhosis.

What components in coffee can help to control diabetes?

Coffee aids in the prevention of free radical damage. The main mechanism causing inflammation or liver damage in diabetic patients is free radicals resulting in oxidative stress. It's the same mechanism that keeps fresh green leafy vegetables, fruits, and multivitamins from causing diabetes or high cholesterol.

According to the study, the coffee component, including polyphenols, decreases oxidative stress in the liver, lowering the risk of fibrosis and enhancing glucose homeostasis.

What does it mean in terms of body health and weight?

When fat is formed in the liver, it causes oxidative damage or free oxygen radical damage. Fat buildup in liver cells can result in liver inflammation. So, all of the components found in coffee, green leafy vegetables, fresh fruits, and multivitamins operate on the same principles. They lower this oxidative stress or free oxygen radical damage, which ultimately aids us in preventing fibrosis or cirrhosis. However, once fibrosis or cirrhosis has developed, it cannot be reversed by coffee, green leafy vegetables, or fresh fruit. If you wish to prevent fatty liver disease, you must address the underlying cause. Consuming coffee, milk, vegetables, or fresh fruit can be beneficial, but the major treatment remains lifestyle changes such as adequate exercise, a good and nutritious diet, regulating sugar and cholesterol levels, and controlling blood pressure. However, moderate coffee drinking can supplement and aid in the prevention of liver inflammation.