Abstract
Coffee, the most consumed hot beverage worldwide, is composed of many substances,
of which polyphenols, caffeine, and diterpenoids are well studied. Evidence on potential
effects of coffee on human health has been accumulating over the past decades. Specifically,
coffee has been postulated to be hepatoprotective in several epidemiological and clinical
studies. Several underlying molecular mechanisms as to why coffee influences liver
health have been proposed. In this review, the authors summarized the evidence on
potential mechanisms by which coffee affects liver steatosis, fibrosis, and hepatic
carcinogenesis. The experimental models reviewed almost unanimously supported the
theorem that coffee indeed may benefit the liver. Either whole coffee or its specific
compounds appeared to decrease fatty acid synthesis (involved in steatogenesis), hepatic
stellate activation (involved in fibrogenesis), and hepatic inflammation. Moreover,
coffee was found to induce apoptosis and increased hepatic antioxidant capacity, which
are involved in carcinogenesis.
Keywords
coffee - polyphenols - diterpenoids - caffeine - liver steatosis - fibrosis - hepatocellular
carcinoma
