We all know how vital our liver is, but we may not realize its importance. According to the Cleveland Clinic, your liver is responsible for hundreds of functions in your body.
Among these several jobs are essential tasks such as metabolizing nutrients so that your body can utilize them, filtering toxins from your bloodstream, assisting your body in producing normal levels of blood clotting, and disposing of old blood cells.
As you can see, caring for your liver and providing it with the nutrients it requires should be a top priority for everyone. Luckily, a beverage that is recognized to be good for your liver is also one of the most popular drinks on the planet.
According to Courtney D'Angelo, MS, RD, author at GoWellness, one of the best drinks for your liver is coffee!
Coffee and your liver
According to D'Angelo, "many studies have shown that drinking coffee can help lessen the risk of cirrhosis as well as guard against fatty liver disease."
Cirrhosis is a dangerous liver disease in which scar tissue replaces healthy liver tissue, permanently harming the liver, whereas "fatty liver disease develops when there is a large buildup of fat and collagen in and around the liver," she explains.
So, how can coffee help protect your liver's health, you might wonder? "Coffee has the power to minimize fat buildup and raise protective antioxidants in the liver," according to D'Angelo, "since antioxidants neutralize dangerous free radicals, which assist prevent cell damage."
Coffee may also help prevent liver scarring, which may reduce your risk of getting Cirrhosis or liver disease, according to a recent study published in Nutrients.
What type of coffee should you drink?
If you drink your coffee black, you'll get the most liver-boosting health advantages. If you don't like your coffee this way, try to avoid using sweeteners and high-sugar creamers as much as possible.
Increased added sugar intake has been shown to affect your liver over time, so adding a dash of half-and-half or a low-sugar, non-dairy creamer to your coffee will help keep your added sugar levels in check.