Coffee: good for your liver

Latest research from the University of Southampton suggests that coffee drinkers may be protected against liver problems in later life.

They have a 21 per cent lower risk of developing chronic liver disease than non-coffee drinkers, say researchers who studied the medical histories and coffee consumption of half a million British people.

The drink contains compounds called kahweol and cafestol which are thought to dampen down inflammation which can damage the liver. The compounds are at higher levels in ground coffee.

Caffeine, meanwhile, is believed to combat harmful liver scarring. One in three Britons are thought to have early non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. It is more common in those who are overweight.