Two problems of increasing prevalence and significance are non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and metabolic syndrome. Metabolic syndrome is diagnosed in the presence of any 3 of the following 5 symptoms: abdominal obesity, elevated triglycerides, low HDL cholesterol, high blood pressure and elevated blood glucose.
Both of these health conditions are heavily affected by diet. Recently, researchers conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of 23 studies that looked at the effect of drinking coffee or tea on non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and metabolic syndrome. . . .
When it came to metabolic syndrome, 4 studies showed that drinking coffee is significantly associated with beneficial effects on triglycerides and cholesterol. Most of the tea studies found that drinking tea was associated with better cholesterol levels. A study of 3,914 people found a protective effect of drinking at least one cup of tea a day on metabolic syndrome.
A meta-analysis that put together 7 studies of coffee and metabolic syndrome found that people who drink more coffee have 13% less risk of developing metabolic syndrome than people who drink the least. The results of 6 studies on tea drinking were even better: 6 people who drank more tea had a 17% reduced risk.
The research, then, suggests that drinking coffee and tea can help protect you against metabolic syndrome.
The news was just as good for non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. Only studies on coffee and caffeine were included here. All 4 studies that measured liver fibrosis, or scarring on the liver, found that drinking coffee improves fibrosis.
Clin Nutr 2016;35(6):1269-1281
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