COFFEE could reduce the risk of developing liver cancer, Hampshire researchers have found.

Experts from the University of Southampton have revealed that drinking more coffee could reduce the risk of developing the most common form of primary liver cancer.

The study has found that drinking one cup more of caffeinated coffee a day was associated with a 20 per cent reduction in the risk of developing liver cancer while two cups more was associated with a 35 per cent reduction and up to five cups with a halving of the risk.

Southampton researchers worked in partnership with the University of Edinburgh and found that the protection against cancer was the same for both existing coffee-drinkers and those who didn’t usually drink it.

Dr Oliver Kennedy, of the University of Southampton, said: “Coffee is widely believed to possess a range of health benefits, and these latest findings suggest it could have a significant effect on liver cancer risk. “We’re not suggesting that everyone should start drinking five cups of coffee a day though. There needs to be more investigation into the potential harms of high coffee-caffeine intake, and there is evidence it should be avoided in certain groups such as pregnant women.”

Decaffeinated coffee was also found to have a beneficial, though less marked, effect.

It has been found that coffee has beneficial properties which scientists believe may explain the lower rates of chronic liver disease and liver cancer experienced by coffee-drinkers.

About 2.25 billion cups of coffee are consumed daily worldwide, and increased coffee consumption has already been shown to protect against serious non-cancer chronic liver disease.

Dr Kennedy added: “The next step now is for researchers to investigate the effectiveness, through randomised trials, of increased coffee consumption for those at risk of liver cancer.”

Liver cancer is one of the leading cause of cancer death globally because of its poor prognosis and high frequency, especially in China and Southeast Asia and it mostly develops in people who are already suffering from chronic liver disease.

It is estimated that, by 2030, the number of new cases annually will have risen by about 50 per cent to more than 1.2 million.