I'm so facinated by coffee's affects on gut health I even commissioned an article on it by leading gut-health dietician Sophie Medlin HERE. (said Al, not Kirsty!)
But so far we've mainly talked about the benefits of coffee polyphenols on the gut and how coffee can improve the diversity of your microbiome.
Imagine my excitement when I found a study publidhed in January 2022 in Nutrients which takes it to the next level! (literally)
It's a scientific review of 194 other studies looking at coffee's affects on the first organis it comes into contact with after drinking it... the gastro-intestinal tract.
The data showed coffee intake stimulates gastric, biliary and pancreatic secretions, all necessary for the digestion of food.
Such as the production of gastrin, a digestive hormone; and hydrochloric acid, present in gastric juice – both of which help break down food in the stomach.
It finally considered coffee and cancer of various stages of the GI tract, reporting 'prominent protective effects' against liver cancer and all other liver diseases. Up to a 50% reduced risk for some!
It's a great study and a useful read for anyone with issues like IBD or GERD - Al x