Drinking and Liver Cancer: Good News and Bad News

March 30, 2015 –The bad news first:  Three or more alcoholic drinks a day significantly increase the risk of liver cancer according to research published by the London-based World Cancer Research Fund (WCRF).  The good news:  Drinking coffee daily helps to reduce the incidence of liver cancer for daily drinkers of alcohol.

The WCRF analyzed 34 scientific studies that had collected data from more than eight million men and women and 24,600 cases of liver cancer.  Researchers don’t know why, but say there is strong evidence that coffee consumption protects people, even heavy drinkers, from liver cancer, which killed 746,000 people globally in 2013.  It is the second deadliest type of cancer worldwide.

There are other causes of liver cancer besides alcohol.  Obesity is a leading cause and a researcher who took part in the study, Stephen Hursting of the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill said, “The evidence on obesity and cancer is only getting stronger. We’re looking at a tsunami of obesity-related cancer coming.”

Reseachers also found a link between aflatoxins and liver cancer.  Aflatoxins are toxins produced by mold in poorly stored food.  They are more likely to be a problem in warmer developing regions of the world.

So the takeaway is that three alcoholic drinks, about 45 grams, a day contribute to liver cancer.  The more coffee you drink every day, reduces the risks of liver cancer..  Of course the report comes with advice to limit the intake of alcohol to two drinks for men and one for women.  You can read the full report here.