A new study reveals that drinking two or more cups of coffee a day can help ward off liver diseases, including hepatitis C.

The researchers at the Monash University in Melbourne say that two or more cups of coffee a day can help reduce the effect of hepatitis C in an individual by almost 13 percent. In addition, the researchers found that consuming four cups of coffee a day can help reduce signs and symptoms associated with fatty liver disease by as much as 24 percent, reports The Age.

During the study, the researchers looked at the impact of coffee on the condition of 1,100 patients suffering from a liver disease at the Monash Health Clinic. The researchers found that even when other risk factors such as alcoholism and weight were taken into account, coffee successfully reduced the impact of the condition on the patients' health.

“It's probably one of the larger studies looking at coffee consumption and people with liver disease; it certainly lends more weight to further research in this field, because coffee is the second most consumed beverage in the world,” said Dr Alex Hodge, a Monash University gastroenterologist, said in an interview with ABC Radio.

It is estimated that almost 40 percent of Australians suffer from fatty liver disease. In this condition, 5 to 10 percent of the liver's weight is made up of fat. In addition, more than six million Australians are or have been affected by a liver disease, including hepatitis B and hepatitis C.

The study results are scheduled to be presented this week at the annual meeting of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases in San Francisco.

Contact the writer at feedback@ibtimes.com.au, or let us know what you think below.

RELATED STORIES