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Post Info TOPIC: Caffeine and Liver Disease
Tig


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RE: Caffeine and Liver Disease
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I agree that many of the articles aren't entirely scientific, but the results that seem to keep showing up, have made a few of us wonder! It's similar to that ongoing disagreement about the value of supplements. Some find no value in them at all, and some give them an abundance of credit. In several cases, myself included, something was responsible for keeping the fire at bay, even though I often paid little concern to the health of my liver. Whatever was responsible, I consider myself fortunate that I didn't advance to cirrhosis.  There's always the possibility, right? Just food (or drink) for thought! Thanks smile



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Tig

68yo GT1A - 5 Mil - A2/F3 - (1996) Intron A - Non Responder, (2013) Peg/Riba/Vic SOT:05/23/13 EOT:12/04/13 SVR 9+ years!

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Hi Tig,

I've read the articles but personally don't take too much notice of them. When working, I drank 10-15 cups of coffee a day. I progressed from F1 to F3-4 in 8 years. After I retired in 2003, my coffee consumption dropped to 1-2 cups a day. I still progressed to F4 in a few years. When on Rx, coffee tasted terrible and I hardly drank any. Since EOT, I am back to 1-2 cups a day. It's hard to believe it plays a significant role. Cheers.



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Geno 1b, IL28B CT,  x3 prior relapser,  ex-cirrhotic, 75 yo, did 48 weeks with Victrelis/Peg./Riba.  VL 1.28m at start, UNDET. at 8 ,12 ,16 ,24 ,30  and 48 weeks.  EOT 15 Feb 2013 , UNDET. at EOT + 28 weeks. SVR!  Still Undet. at EOT +5 years

Malcolm



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I forget to mention that one of the reports about coffee drinking said that it has to be regular coffee not de-caf and it should filtered with paper filters.

matt 



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Hey Tig 

Thanks bringing this topic up, I have been reading all these reports about the benefits for inhibiting cirrhosis. I have personally increased my coffee cups from 1 daily to 3 daily. I seem to be able to slightly tell in how my over all gut feels but it would be hard to quantify.

Sometimes with these news reports about what to eat or drink its like having blind faith, you have to just go with and see how you feel after awhile.  

During the last 5 years I have changed 90% of my food and drink for the betterment of my liver and body health so I do believe its very important to be willing to change our habits based on new data and discoveries on food, drink and other life habits. I have totally trended to no processed foods and and mostly stopped my relationship with sugar and its many friends. 

matt



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"And in the end, the love you take is equal to the love you make"

61 year old Geno type A1, F4 Cirrhotic, started 24 weeks on Harvoni 12-17-14 ,EOT-5 week = UND, 8-31-15 =UND , SVR-24 Baby YES! 



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Over the years I've found lots of articles on the links between caffeine and a decreased risk of liver disease. I think most of the articles mention coffee or tea as the source of caffeine. Caffeinated soft drinks are usually sweetened with high fructose corn syrup, which has been linked Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease and diet soft drinks are sweetened by all sorts of chemicals that haven't stood the test of time.   



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Hello,

Yes this is an interesting topic. I have been a coffee drinker all my life (two double espressos every morning) and at times have also been a heavy drinker so was fully expecting a terrible result when I had my fibroscan. I was somewhat surprised to find I had a fairly low score - 6.3kpa. I would hesitate to attribute this to my caffeine intake but given the number of articles I have seen, I wonder if there is something in the relationship between coffee and reduction in liver inflammation. Certainly after all those years of being told what a bad thing coffee is, its great to hear somethng positive about it.

Jumpy

 

 



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Tig


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Hi Gents,

Good morning to you both! It seems like you, I too had issues with it during treatment. I had generalized nausea for many weeks and was put on Zofran. But stimulant drinks themselves didn't cause it, just the consumption or thought of consumption in general did! That basic thought was responsible for over 50 pounds of weight loss. What I fondly (?) call "The Triple Therapy Diet". I thought I might gain it back quickly after EOT, but so far my weight has actually dropped a few more pounds, even though my intake has somewhat normalized. It may have to do with the continuing drug clearance. So it may be several months before I see any change. However my desire for coffee has returned with zeal and it tastes as good as I recall! 



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Tig

68yo GT1A - 5 Mil - A2/F3 - (1996) Intron A - Non Responder, (2013) Peg/Riba/Vic SOT:05/23/13 EOT:12/04/13 SVR 9+ years!

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Hi Tig,

Not long after I started treatment I read an article such as the one you refer to; I had quit drinking coffee a year before when I quit smoking. At some point I did start back having a cup in the morning, such as I'm doing right now. Ironically, my gastro doctor had advised me not to drink more than one or two cup a day. That was puzzling, but I just have to guess that perhaps he was concerned that my labs would be skewed in some way. ???



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Tig,

Before treatment and for years I have pretty much had just one cup of coffee a day - in the morning and with breakfast.  Occasionally more, but not on a regular basis.  I do not know what affect it had on my liver inflammation, but I do know that when I was on the triple - after about 2-3 weeks I could not drink coffee.  It made me nauseous and there is nothing like that feeling to make you avoid participating in that activity causing the nausea.  I tried tea, but gave that up as well, though the results of drinking it were not so extreme.  Got along well without any morning stimulant, but still had many nights (during treatment) of insomnia.  Since eot I have had a few cups of coffee, not regularly and not every day.  I very much enjoy the taste of coffee, so I am getting back into it slowly, though I do feel a need for the stimulation.  Since eot I am now sleeping so much better at night.

Could you drink it during treatment?

Bill



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Tig


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While looking for information on fibrosis I came across this website/article. It mentions "an increasing number of studies suggesting that the consumption of caffeine may reduce liver inflammation in people with chronic liver disease." Makes me wonder if there was any chance of that in my case. I've had lower inflammation scores following my biopsies. Coincidence or truth? Until the last couple of years, when I purchased a Keurig coffee machine, I had the standard 12 cup counter top drip machine. That thing was always on and always full. I did the same thing at work. When I worked so many hours every day of the week, I kept myself going on caffeine, power bars and water. I guess I was easily drinking 12 to 15 big cups of coffee per day! Besides the chance of improved liver health from caffeine, I was always questioned the effect too much daily ingestion of caffeine on the body in general. Certainly for hypertensive insomniacs it's probably not a good idea! Fact is I never slept better than I did during those times. Perhaps it was the 80 hour work weeks that was responsible for that!! But following the Keurig purchase, I quit drinking so much coffee. The cost of those little pods and the manual method convinced me that I could neither afford to buy that many pods and the hassle of the manual pod method grew tiresome quickly that many times per day.  Aside from the caffeine article, there is some additional information  on the webpage, as well as a link to their new website. Might just have to explore it a little more smile

 http://www.hivandhepatitis.com/hep_c/news/2011/0531_2011_c.html 



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Tig

68yo GT1A - 5 Mil - A2/F3 - (1996) Intron A - Non Responder, (2013) Peg/Riba/Vic SOT:05/23/13 EOT:12/04/13 SVR 9+ years!

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