Astonishingly, drinking coffee seems to be linked to a decreased risk of fatty liver disease, as well as a decreased risk of liver fibrosis in those who already have fatty liver disease [1].
TLDR: What kind of coffees help the most with fatty liver disease:
- Dark Roast Coffee — Contains higher levels of N-methylpyridinium, which may support liver health.
- Organic Coffee — Free from harmful pesticides, offering a cleaner option for liver health.
- Unflavored Black Coffee — Avoids added sugars and artificial flavors that can strain the liver.
- Mold-Free Coffee — Reduces exposure to mycotoxins, which can stress the liver and impede detoxification.
- Robusta Coffee — Higher in caffeine and chlorogenic acids, both of which are thought to aid in reducing liver fat accumulation.
Read on for our recommendations for the best coffees for fatty liver that also taste great, and the scientific nitty-gritty of how coffee could be helping you.
Roundup: Top 3 Coffees for a Fatty Liver
In addition to selecting some super tasty coffees, we’ve made sure to select coffee options that could help with fatty liver, using the knowledge that we’ve gained during our research.
Of course, it’s always wise to consult your doctor on choices concerning your health, but if you know a cup of coffee won’t hurt, then these options are well worth becoming your daily cup.
1. HaNoi Coffee (100% Robusta)
HaNoi is one of our go-to blends for a straight-up, no-nonsense brew in the mornings. It’s entirely made up of robusta coffee beans roasted to a very dark level, meaning that the final result is packed with flavor. Each cup has notes of chocolate and malt, with an underlying earthiness that’s undeniably characteristic of robusta coffee beans.
Ha Noi’s long and complex coffee culture boils down to the simple yet elegant cup you can find on street corners in the city today: straightforward, strong, and wonderfully satisfying. This coffee is best brewed in a way that gets the most extraction possible, such as espresso or moka pot. There’s a lot of flavor packed into the beans, so make sure to do everything you can to get it out!
We’ve selected this option for our fatty liver recommendations list because it’s got such a smooth, earthy, and straight flavor that it helps exemplify some of the features of a great weight-loss diet. Instead of shying away from ingredients and flavors like a lot of diet recipes do, this is a coffee that leans into everything it is, creating a strong cup to start your day right.
2. DaNang Coffee (Arabica x Robusta)
DaNang is a much more delicate offering, combining both arabica and robusta beans to create something greater than the sum of its parts. The earthy richness of robusta beans is the most noticeable element of this coffee, but the light aromatics and citrus notes of the arabica beans gently lift them. The tasting notes for this coffee include hazelnut, maple syrup, and citrus zest.
This is a lighter roast than most of our other beans, being medium-dark. This balancing of the two bean types with a lighter roast displays a whole new set of flavors not usually seen in Vietnamese coffee that is exceptionally moreish and indulgent.
Aside from the stunning flavor, we’ve also selected this coffee for its nature as an easy-to-drink brew. It makes for a velvety, nutty cup of brewed coffee, meaning that you may find you don’t need to add as many unhealthy additives to it and still have a satisfying cup. Since coffee has been shown to have a potential link to reducing the chances of fatty liver disease, an enticing blend like this will have you reaching for the kettle in no time.
3. BanMe Coffee (100% Peaberry Robusta)
Our stunning BanMe coffee is the strongest coffee that we sell. In fact, it’s probably the strongest coffee in the world! The reason we make that claim is that robusta beans have higher caffeine levels than arabica, and peaberry robusta beans are thought to concentrate all of their nutrients into one bean since they grow as one bean instead of two. With these two factors working together, the beans in these bags are undeniably intense, leading to a cup with a kick. If you're wondering where to find authentic Vietnamese coffee, BanMe coffee is an excellent choice for experiencing true intensity and flavor.
Through careful harvesting, selection, and skilled roasting, these bold, dark beans produce some of the most stellar cups of coffee we’ve ever had. Not only are these beans strong, but they’re also aromatic, flavorsome, and beautifully full-bodied.
The reason we’ve selected this coffee for our fatty liver list is that there has been some evidence to show that caffeine may help with weight loss [2]. Since one of the primary ways that people are encouraged to help themselves with fatty liver disease is to lose weight, getting a little extra caffeine might be a helping hand. Of course, it's still important to make sure you eat healthy portions of healthy foods, but the caffeine in coffee may be a friend in your weight loss journey.
Fatty Liver Disease: NAFLD & Liver Fibrosis
To understand the science behind how coffee may help with fatty liver disease, it’s useful to break down the basics of the main forms of this disease.
NAFLD (Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease)
The term NAFLD refers to a group of conditions caused by excess fat buildup in the liver, commonly seen in people who are overweight.
It's best understood as a spectrum:
- Early Stages: Minimal fat buildup with little to no long-term damage.
- Advanced Stages: Significant fat accumulation that may lead to liver inflammation, cirrhosis, or serious complications.
NAFLD can also increase the risk of other health concerns, such as:
- Diabetes and kidney disease.
- Heart problems, particularly in patients who already have diabetes.
The good news is that NAFLD is often detectable in its early stages, and treatment—such as lifestyle changes — can reduce fat in the liver and prevent progression.
Liver Fibrosis
Liver fibrosis frequently appears in studies on NAFLD, so let’s clarify what it means:
As NAFLD progresses, persistent inflammation in the liver can lead to fibrosis—scar tissue forming around the liver and its blood vessels. Unlike cirrhosis, the liver can still function during fibrosis, but it is at risk.
Fibrosis can progress to:
- Liver cirrhosis — where the liver becomes shrunken and heavily scarred, impairing function.
- Severe complications, such as liver failure or liver cancer.
Fortunately, most people with NAFLD never progress to severe stages. For many, reducing liver fat through weight loss or early treatment can prevent fibrosis and other complications from developing over time.
Can Coffee Help Fatty Liver Disease
When we first heard about this, we honestly thought that it was quite unlikely. However, upon researching the various studies done on the link between coffee and a decreased risk of NAFLD, we were astonished to find that, yes, it does appear coffee can help!
To be as specific as possible, it appears that coffee is truly associated with a decreased risk of developing NAFLD and also a decreased risk among NAFLD patients of developing liver fibrosis [1,2].
There have been several different studies that have explored the potential links between Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD) and coffee drinking. In particular, one study has found a “significant association” between reduced risk of NAFLD and coffee drinking [3]. A separate meta-analysis found a significantly decreased risk among coffee drinkers of developing NAFLD and of developing liver fibrosis among those with NAFLD [4].
How Does Coffee Help With Fatty Liver?
So, it's time for the big question: how does coffee help out with this? Well, the simple answer is that we’re not quite sure. Coffee contains over a thousand different chemicals, and doctors are still trying to learn which one of them, or which group of them, can have these impacts on NAFLD.
One of the reasons that this is so tricky is that all of those chemicals in coffee can interact with different parts of your body in different ways. Therefore, it's equally likely that coffee may stop fat from reaching your liver or that the fat may still reach your liver but just not bind to it for some reason.
Thankfully, though, there is an interesting piece of coffee knowledge that definitely does help, so let’s talk about that. When your body digests caffeine, it can turn the caffeine into a chemical called paraxanthine. Paraxanthine has been shown to slow the growth of the scar tissue that builds during fibrosis. This could help several things, including liver cancer and hepatitis C, as well as NAFLD [5].
When Should You Avoid Coffee?
Drinking coffee to help with NAFLD should be quite safe for most people. However, it’s always best to double-check with your doctor before you make any large changes to your diet or start taking any additional supplements.
In particular, in the case of coffee, it’s most important to talk to your doctor if you’re pregnant or have a heart condition. Some amount of coffee may be safe for you to drink, but it may be lower than the average amount of coffee that most people can enjoy. So, reach out and ask a healthcare professional to be on the safe side.
Liver-Friendly Ways to Brew Coffee
Since there are plenty of ways to drink coffee, it’s only reasonable to wonder how different methods might impact your liver health. It’s worth considering the general advice and treatment given to those with NAFLD: lose some weight, and the fat in your liver should decrease.
Black coffee is low in fat and calories, so it’s the best choice for those with fatty liver. But, we know that for some, black coffee can be difficult to get used to, so opt for low-fat milk (such as skim) and a natural sweetener like stevia or monk fruit extract (like we use in our instant coffee blends) for a healthier alternative.
FAQs: Coffee for Fatty Liver
Now that we’ve discussed some of how coffee can help NAFLD and fatty liver, let’s run through some important FAQs.
1. What Is NAFLD?
Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the name for a group of conditions that are caused by having too much fat in your liver. Over time, having fat in your liver can lead to scarring and, eventually, cirrhosis.
2. Can Coffee Help With NAFLD?
Yes, coffee can help with NAFLD! Coffee has been shown to decrease the chances of someone developing NAFLD, as well as decreasing the chances of a patient with NAFLD developing liver fibrosis, where scars have formed on their liver [1, 2].
3. Why Does Coffee Help With NAFLD?
It’s not known exactly why coffee can help those with NAFLD or at risk of it. The reason for this is that there’s a huge number of different chemicals in coffee, so it’s hard to tell which ones are helping. However, when the human body digests caffeine, it can turn it into paraxanthine, which has been shown to slow down the growth of scar tissue. This may be one of the ways coffee can help with NAFLD [5].
4. What’s the Best Way to Use Coffee to Help?
The general advice for those with NAFLD is to lose weight because if the patient can do so, then the amount of fat in their liver may decrease. Therefore, it’s wise to take your coffee with no cream, syrups, and sugar to make it as healthy as possible.
5. Should You Avoid Coffee With NAFLD?
No, you do not need to avoid coffee if you have NAFLD. However, if you are pregnant or have a heart condition, it’s wise to consult with your doctor before you start drinking coffee — both of those groups need to be mindful of caffeine intake.
References
- Wijarnpreecha, K., Thongprayoon, C., & Ungprasert, P. (2017). Coffee consumption and risk of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease: a systematic review and meta-analysis. European journal of gastroenterology & hepatology, 29(2), e8–e12.
- Tabrizi, R., Saneei, P., Lankarani, K. B., Akbari, M., Kolahdooz, F., Esmaillzadeh, A., Nadi-Ravandi, S., Mazoochi, M., & Asemi, Z. (2019). The effects of caffeine intake on weight loss: a systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Critical reviews in food science and nutrition, 59(16), 2688–2696.
- Hayat, U., Siddiqui, A. A., Okut, H., Afroz, S., Tasleem, S., & Haris, A. (2021). The effect of coffee consumption on the non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and liver fibrosis: A meta-analysis of 11 epidemiological studies. Annals of Hepatology, 20, 100254.
- Wijarnpreecha, K., Thongprayoon, C., & Ungprasert, P. (2017). Coffee consumption and risk of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease: a systematic review and meta-analysis. European journal of gastroenterology & hepatology, 29(2), e8–e12.
- Hepatology: “Coffee intake is associated with lower rates of liver disease progression in chronic hepatitis C,” “Inverse associations of total and decaffeinated coffee with liver enzyme levels in NHANES 1999-2010.”
