Is Coffee Protective of Liver Cirrhosis?

QUT Intern Carly Booth and Clinician Researcher Dr Ingrid Hickman explore some recent hype within the media regarding the health benefits of coffee consumption for liver cirrhosis.

The potential beneficial role of coffee consumption for preventing progressive liver disease, known as liver cirrhosis, has received quite the reception in the media recently. In this podcast Ingrid delves into the latest research around the topic, including a recent systematic review and meta analysis, from which claims were made that two cups of coffee a day can halve the risk of developing liver cirrhosis.

"It's all about critiquing the literature, looking at what is actually measured"

Using the latest coffee claim as a case study, Ingrid highlights how important it is to critically analyse the literature surrounding these types of health messages and to be aware of the possible misinformation within the media. She points out how crucial it is to look at all of the variables associated with the study, to find out whether such studies present a correlation or a causation. Dietary methodologies also need to be considered and critiqued, particularly when claims regarding health benefits are made.

Take a listen to this podcast to see how Ingrid evaluates the claims surrounding the recent research findings around coffee consumption and whether or not the beloved beverage is actually beneficial to one's health.

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