A recent study carried out by the researchers at National Cancer Institute has claimed that drinking coffee may improve the response of treatment received by hepatitis C patients with chronic liver disease. Researchers claim that about 70-80% of individuals exposed to hepatitis C virus become chronically infected. About 75% of the patients do not exhibit any symptoms when the contract the disease but remaining 25% may experience fatigue, loss of appetite, muscle aches or fever.

Researchers have found that hepatitis C patients who received peginterferon plus ribavirin treatment and drank three or more cups of coffee a day were two times more likely to respond to treatment as compared to those who did not drink coffee.

Neal Freedman, PhD, MPH, of the National Cancer Institute and Lead Author of this study said” Coffee intake has been associated with a lower level of liver enzymes, reduced progression of chronic liver disease and reduced incidence of liver cancer”. He further added that the study has found links between coffee intake and improved response to treatment but future studies are required to be carried out in the same field.