Researchers Found One Everyday Drink May Protect Against Liver Disease

If your morning starts with a cup of coffee, that habit may be doing more for your body than you realize.

A large new study found that people who drink more coffee tend to have healthier livers, and the benefits appear to hold for decaf drinkers, too.

About the study

Researchers looked at data from nearly 355,000 people enrolled in the UK Biobank, a large long-term health study in the United Kingdom. Everyone included was free of serious liver disease at the start.

Using questionnaires, the team tracked how much coffee people drank, whether it was caffeinated or decaffeinated, and whether they added sugar or sweeteners. They then followed participants for a median of 13 years, checking health records to see who developed serious liver problems over time. What made this study stand out is how many different types of evidence the researchers pulled together.

A subgroup of nearly 29,000 participants had MRI scans to measure fat and iron levels in the liver, along with a marker of liver inflammation and early scarring. A separate group of more than 44,000 had their blood proteins analyzed; essentially, researchers looked at the biological signals circulating in their blood to understand what was happening at a cellular level.

Higher coffee intake was linked to lower rates of serious liver problems

Over the 13-year follow-up, the association between coffee and liver health was graded.

This means that the more coffee people drank, the more protective the link appeared to be. Among those drinking five or more cups a day, the reductions were especially pronounced:

Importantly, these benefits looked similar whether people drank caffeinated or decaffeinated coffee.

They also held up among people who added sugar or artificial sweeteners, although the researchers did note that adding sweeteners was linked to a slightly higher reading on the liver inflammation marker.

What the MRI & blood data revealed

The MRI subgroup helped fill in the picture. Among those participants, people who drank more coffee had less fat and iron stored in their liver, along with lower scores on a marker of liver inflammation and early scarring.

In other words, their livers appeared healthier on the inside, not just based on their medical records. The separate blood protein group offered clues about what might be happening biologically.

Researchers found that people who drank more coffee had higher levels of proteins associated with healthy liver-cell function and lower levels of proteins linked to liver scarring and immune activity that can drive liver damage over time.

Together, these findings suggest coffee may help support the liver's internal environment, though the study cannot determine whether coffee directly caused these differences.

Why decaf appears to work, too

One of the more interesting findings is that decaf held its own. Since decaffeinated coffee showed similar protective links to regular coffee, caffeine probably isn't the main driver here.

That points instead to other compounds found in coffee, especially polyphenols and antioxidants, which are plant-based compounds that help protect cells from damage. Some earlier animal research has suggested these compounds may help reduce liver damage.

Putting this into practice

Moderate unsweetened coffee is a simple strategy for supporting liver health. Two practical takeaways can help you act on that:

Keep it unsweetened when you can: The protective links held even with added sugar or sweeteners, but the liver inflammation marker ran slightly higher in people who used them. Drinking your coffee plain (or as close to plain as you enjoy) looks like the better bet for your liver.

Let coffee round out your habits, not replace them: This study adds to a growing body of evidence that coffee is genuinely good for the liver, but it works best as part of a bigger-picture approach. Going easy on alcohol, eating a nutrient-dense diet, and maintaining a healthy weight all support your liver in ways a daily cup can't do on its own.

The takeaway

Coffee continues to build a strong case as a liver-friendly habit, and this study suggests the benefits extend to both regular and decaf brews. If coffee is already part of your routine, enjoying it with little or no added sugar may be one of the simplest ways to make that habit even healthier.