Walk more, live longer
DRINKING coffee protects the liver against a number of diseases, a major report has concluded. Until recently, experts warned against having more than a few cups of coffee a day for fear it might cause cancer, but its medical rehabilitation is well under way.
Last week the World Health Organisation withdrew its previous warnings on the link between coffee and bladder cancer, and instead said the drink could, in fact, help protect against certain cancers that affect the womb and liver.
The British Liver Trust had added to the growing weight of evidence around the health benefits of drinking coffee, publishing an 83-page report summarising all existing research on the subject. It concludes that coffee protects against fatty liver disease, liver fibrosis and liver cirrhosis – all severe conditions which can be fatal.
And for those who already have liver disease, drinking coffee can slow its progression.
Professor Graeme Alexander, a liver expert at Cambridge University Hospitals, said: “At last, physicians have found a lifestyle habit that is good for your liver.
“We have an epidemic of liver disease in the UK, and the numbers affected are growing at an alarming rate.”
Liver disease is the third-biggest cause of premature death in the UK, and one of the fastest growing – the rate of death has increased by almost 500 percent since 1970.
Many cases of liver disease are caused by alcohol, but Britain’s growing obesity crisis means increasing numbers of people are at risk of developing potentially fatal fatty liver disease.
Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease – which is usually associated with being overweight – was until recently considered rare. But modern sedentary lifestyles and poor diets mean that an estimated one in five people in the UK is in the early stages of the disease, which can eventually lead to life-threatening cirrhosis, a condition more commonly associated with alcoholism.
Recent research, however, has suggested that drinking around six espressos, or three large cappuccinos, each day could ward off non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, even among the obese.
Other major causes of liver problems include blood-borne viruses – such as hepatitis A, B and C – which can cause permanent liver damage and raise the risk of liver cancer.
The World Health Organisation, which published its report in the Lancet Oncology medical journal last week, found that the risk of liver cancer decreased 15 percent for each cup of coffee per day.
Experts are not certain why coffee seems to have such a protective effect on the liver, but there is growing evidence that when caffeine enters the body, one of the molecules it is broken down into – paraxanthine – may slow the growth of tissues that damage the liver.
Two other substances in coffee – kahweol and cafestol – are also thought to play a role.
Andrew Langford, chief executive of the British Liver Trust, said that prevention was better than cure.
“Although the liver is remarkably resilient and can regenerate if given time to recover, by the time most people have signs and symptoms of liver damage it is often irreversible,” he said.
“It’s known as a silent killer because it has few symptoms. Three-quarters of people already have late-stage liver disease when they are first diagnosed. By this time, for many, it is too late.”
The European Food Safety Authority advises drinking no more than 400mg of caffeine a day – the equivalent of five espressos. – Daily Mail WALKING for just 15 minutes a day can help the over-60s live longer, doctors say.
Those stepping out five times a week are 22 percent less likely to suffer early death. Doubling the exercise to the recommended 30 minutes a day reduces the risk by 6 percent.
Now French researchers say the World Health Organisation should halve its exercise guidelines for the over-60s – to 75 minutes of moderate exercise a week. They say the 150-minute guideline is hardly feasible for older adults.
Dr David Hupin – whose team reviewed nine previous decade-long studies involving 120 000 over-60s and carried out its own 12-year study on 1 000 people – said: “Age is not an excuse to do no exercise.
“But less than half of older adults achieve the recommended minimum of 150 minutes moderate intensity or 75 minutes vigorous intensity exercise each week.”
The researchers, from the University Hospital of SaintEtienne, say the first 15 minutes is the most beneficial.
After the initial burst, the extent of the benefits declines, meaning that getting out and doing even a small amount of daily exercise is worth it.
Those who carried out double the recommended exercise levels – 300 minutes – were the least likely to die during the studies.
Hupin said: “The more physical activity older adults do, the greater the health benefit. They should progressively increase physical activity daily rather than dramatically changing habits to meet recommendations.” – Daily Mail