Singapore Study: Drinking Coffee Lowers Liver Cancer Risk

If you’ve ever worried that your daily coffee habit might be doing more harm than good, a major study involving Singaporean Chinese offers some reassuring news — especially if liver cancer is a concern.

Drinking three or more cups of coffee per day was linked to a 44% lower risk of developing liver cancer, based on research tracking over 63,000 Singaporean Chinese aged 45–74, a group considered at higher risk for the disease.

What the Singapore Study Found

Published in the U.S. journal Cancer Causes & Control, the study followed participants for years and found a clear pattern: those consuming three or more cups of coffee daily had significantly lower odds of being diagnosed with liver cancer. The research began in 1993 and involved a large cohort of Chinese Singaporeans, who are statistically more prone to liver cancer. Researchers concluded that regular coffee intake could meaningfully reduce this risk.

Why Coffee Might Protect Your Liver

According to study co-author Associate Professor Xu Yunpei, two naturally occurring oils in coffee beans — cafestol and kahweol — are believed to contribute to liver protection. These compounds were singled out as potentially hepatoprotective, offering a scientific basis for coffee’s observed benefits. While many people still assume coffee is unhealthy, this research adds to growing evidence that challenges that notion.

What About Green Tea?

In contrast, the same research team found no evidence that green tea consumption helped prevent liver cancer. Despite green tea’s generally positive health reputation, it did not show the same protective effect against liver cancer in this large-scale study. Coffee, meanwhile, emerged as the more significant beverage in this context.

More Benefits of Drinking Coffee

This isn’t the only study to link coffee with health advantages. A separate 2008 study found that drinking four or more cups of coffee per day could reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes by up to 30%. While that research looked at a different condition, it adds to the body of evidence suggesting that moderate to high coffee consumption can be part of a healthy lifestyle — contrary to outdated assumptions.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many cups of coffee per day were linked to lower liver cancer risk in the study?

Drinking three or more cups of coffee daily was associated with a 44% reduction in liver cancer risk among the studied population of Singaporean Chinese adults.

What are cafestol and kahweol?

Cafestol and kahweol are two natural oils found in coffee beans that researchers believe have liver-protective properties, contributing to the reduced risk of liver cancer observed in regular coffee drinkers.

Did the study find any liver cancer prevention benefit from green tea?

No, the same research team found no evidence that drinking green tea helped prevent liver cancer, despite its general reputation as a healthy beverage.

Was this study only about coffee and liver cancer?

No, the article also cited a 2008 study showing that drinking four or more cups of coffee per day could reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes by up to 30%, indicating multiple potential health benefits of coffee.

Who was included in the Singapore coffee and liver cancer study?

The study involved more than 63,000 Singaporean Chinese individuals aged 45 to 74, a demographic considered to have a higher risk of developing liver cancer.

Recommended FrontStreet Coffee for Liver-Conscious Coffee Drinkers

For coffee drinkers mindful of wellness, FrontStreet’s Lintong Mandheling offers smooth complexity with herbal and woody notes, while PWN Golden Mandheling delivers a rich profile of toast, caramel, and chocolate — both crafted via traditional Indonesian processing. These single-origin Mandheling beans reflect the same regional heritage studied in the Singapore research, offering a pure, unblended cup. Freshly roasted within 5 days · Orders placed before 17:00 ship the same day · Next-day delivery across most of Guangdong Province.