The impact of diet and nutrition in the prevention and progression of hepatocellular carcinoma

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the third leading cause of cancer mortality worldwide. There is growing evidence for a chemopreventive role of nutrition in the development of HCC in at risk populations. Bibliographical searches were performed in PubMed for the terms 'nutrition and hepatocellular carcinoma', 'nutrition and liver cancer', 'nutrition and hepatic cancer', 'diet and hepatocellular carcinoma', 'diet and liver cancer'. High dietary sugar intake should be discouraged in at risk populations. Coffee, polyphenols, vanadium, dietary fibre, fruits and vegetables show encouraging results in terms of chemoprevention. Red meat intake may be associated with increased risk of HCC. The evidence for fatty acids is inconclusive, but they might exert anti-cancer effects. Inconclusive results are available on vitamins, selenium probiotics and prebiotics. There is increasing evidence that diet may play an important role in the development of HCC, and may also have a chemopreventive role in at risk populations.

Coffee and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease: brewing evidence for hepatoprotection?

Coffee is one of the most popular beverages in the world. Several studies consistently show that coffee drinkers with chronic liver disease have a reduced risk of cirrhosis and a lower incidence of hepatocellular carcinoma regardless of primary etiology. With the increasing prevalence of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) worldwide, there is renewed interest in the effect of coffee intake on NAFLD severity and positive clinical outcomes. This review gives an overview of growing epidemiological and clinical evidence which indicate that coffee consumption reduces severity of NAFLD. These studies vary in methodology, and potential confounding factors have not always been completely excluded. However, it does appear that coffee, and particular components other than caffeine, reduce NAFLD prevalence and inflammation of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis. Several possible mechanisms underlying coffee's hepatoprotective effects in NAFLD include antioxidative, anti-inflammatory, and antifibrotic effects, while a chemopreventive effect against hepatocarcinogenesis seems likely. The so-far limited data supporting such effects will be discussed, and the need for further study is highlighted.

Prevention of rat liver fibrosis and carcinogenesis by coffee and caffeine

Coffee has been inversely related to the incidence of human liver disease; however, whether caffeine is the component responsible for the beneficial effects of coffee remains controversial. This study evaluated the beneficial effects of coffee or caffeine in a medium-term bioassay for rat liver fibrosis/carcinogenesis induced by diethylnitrosamine (DEN) and carbon tetrachloride (CCl4). One week after the DEN injection, the groups started to receive conventional coffee, instant coffee or 0.1% caffeine ad libitum for 24 weeks. The groups receiving conventional coffee or caffeine presented a significant reduction in collagen content and mRNA expression of collagen I. The groups receiving instant coffee or caffeine had a significant reduction in the size and area of pre-neoplastic lesions and in the mean number of neoplastic lesions. A significant increase in liver bax protein levels was observed in the groups receiving instant coffee or caffeine as compared to the control group. These data indicate that the most pronounced hepatoprotective effect against fibrosis was observed in the groups receiving conventional coffee and 0.1% caffeine, and the greatest effects against liver carcinogenesis were detected in the groups receiving instant coffee and 0.1% caffeine.

Effects of coffee, smoking, and alcohol on liver function tests: a comprehensive cross-sectional study

Background

Liver function tests (LFTs) can be affected by many factors and the proposed effects of coffee on LFT require a comprehensive evaluation. The aim of this study was to elucidate whether drinking coffee, smoking, or drinking alcohol have independent effects on LFTs in Korean health-check examinees.

Methods

We used the responses of 500 health-check examinees, who had participated in a self-administered questionnaire survey about coffee, alcohol drinking, and smoking habits.

Results

Coffee consumption was closely related to male gender, high body mass index (BMI), alcohol drinking, and smoking. On univariable and multivariable analyses, drinking coffee lowered serum levels of total protein, albumin, and aspartate aminotransferases (AST). On multivariable analyses, smoking raised serum γ-glutamyl transferase (GGT) level and decreased serum protein and albumin levels, while alcohol drinking raised GGT level after adjustment for age, gender, regular medication, BMI, coffee and alcohol drinking amounts, and smoking.

Conclusions

Coffee consumption, smoking, and alcohol drinking affect the individual components of LFT in different ways, and the above 3 habits each have an impact on LFTs. Therefore, their effects on LFTs should be carefully interpreted, and further study on the mechanism of the effects is warranted.

Coffee and the liver: a potential treatment for liver disease?

Liver disease is the fifth commonest cause of death in the UK. Observational and case-controlled studies have suggested that coffee is beneficial in liver disease, but this evidence has yet to be evaluated or placed into the context of the natural history of liver disease. The aim of this study was to review the current evidence for the role of coffee in liver disease. Several studies consistently show that coffee drinkers have a reduced risk of abnormal liver function tests, cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. There is a clear dose response to this benefit. As the effect of this widely available food substance seems substantial further data, ideally from an interventional study of coffee in patients with liver disease, is urgently required particularly because of the potential to reduce fibrosis and hepatocellular carcinoma risk. This would be the first intervention of its kind to have proven benefit irrespective of etiology of liver disease.