Coffee or tea vs. liver damage

[Guest guest]

Hi All,

See the below from CNN suggesting that drinking coffee or tea can overcome the

excess iron some have in their blood.

Study: Coffee reduces liver risk

Monday, December 5, 2005 Posted: 1535 GMT (2335 HKT)

WASHINGTON (Reuters)

-- Coffee and tea may reduce the risk of serious liver damage in people who

drink

alcohol too much, are overweight, or have too much iron in the blood,

researchers

reported on Sunday.

The study of nearly 10,000 people showed that those who drank more than two cups

of

coffee or tea per day developed chronic liver disease at half the rate of those

who

drank less than one cup each day.

The study, conducted by the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and

Kidney

Diseases and Social & Scientific Systems, Inc., found that coffee provided no

protection to people at risk of liver disease from other causes, such as viral

infections.

" While it is too soon to encourage patients to increase their coffee and tea

intake,

the findings of our study potentially offer people at high-risk for developing

chronic liver disease a practical way to decrease that risk, " said Dr. Constance

Ruhl, who helped lead the study.

" In addition, we hope the findings will offer guidance to researchers who are

studying liver disease progression. "

Writing in the American Gastroenterological Association journal

Gastroenterology,

Ruhl and colleagues said caffeine seemed to hold the key.

They analyzed the records of 9,849 participants in a government survey whose

coffee

and tea intake was evaluated and who were followed for about 19 years.

Al Pater, PhD; email: old542000@...

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