The effect of coffee and tea on chronic liver disease: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Abstract

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is defined as a condition in which ≥5–10% of hepatocytes exhibit macroscopic steatosis in the absence of other aetiologies of liver disease. Consumption of coffee or tea or both may decrease risk of NAFLD, as recommended by studies of liver enzymes. To examine the association of coffee and tea consumption with liver disease, a systematic review of studies on the effects of these beverages on liver associated laboratory tests was performed. Methods The data of PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science, and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials from the database inception to July 2021 were used. Pooled Mean Difference (MD) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated by random-effects model. Results Of the total collected 218 articles, 8 met our eligibility criteria to be included in the Meta analysis. Four studies assessed green tea and one study assessed sour tea consumption in NAFLD patients. Three studies assessed coffee use. All studies revealed an inverse association of coffee intake with elevated serum enzyme levels. According to the results of meta-analysis, the mean alanine aminotransferase (ALT) in the intervention group was 12.50 points lower than the control group. The mean aspartate aminotransferase (AST) in the intervention group was 9.23 points lower than the control group (p-value <0.001).