19 Comments
User's avatar
The Bird Soup Diaries's avatar

Wow! So much to unpack from this. Thank you again for taking the time to educate us. I think you deserve a medal for services to medicine and the public 🥇

Dr Arif Hussenbux MBBS's avatar

Thank you - hope you have found some benefit!

Catherine Ann's avatar

Always clear, concise, helpful info from you, Dr. Arif. Thankyou.

Hannah's avatar

I have had to cut out coffee as it flares up my gastritis. It’s so frustrating how it can be so beneficial for one area but so problematic for another!

Dr Arif Hussenbux MBBS's avatar

never take coffee on an empty stomach. take with meals and see if this helps

Hannah's avatar

Thank you for replying. I have read that taking caffeine with meals can inhibit the absorption of certain vitamins and minerals (e.g. iron). Is that not the case? Or not problematic? There is so much information out there it is so challenging to cut through the noise. I am finding your posts so informative though so thank you for writing them.

Natalie Weiss RD, CLC's avatar

Great info in here! Another reason to enjoy coffee:)

Penny's avatar

Thank you.Such good, clear advice. I will be trying very hard to put it into practice. Even more incentive to stop eating and drinking ultra processed foods, and to make myself actually go to bed consistently instead of watching rubbish, or sitting scrolling.

Jenny's avatar

Fascinating!!

YOUR DOCTOR KLOVER's avatar

Love how Dr. Hussenbux gives the liver some earned spotlight here.

A couple physician-scientist reflections that really land:

1. Regeneration is real, but it’s not infinite. The liver can “bounce back” impressively when you remove the insult early (weight, alcohol, viral hepatitis), but once fibrosis architecture accumulates, the biology shifts from repair → scarring. That nuance is the difference between hope and false reassurance. 

2. The coffee signal is one of the most consistent (and pleasantly practical) findings in liver epidemiology—helpful to see it presented without hype. 

3. I also appreciate the underlying message: fatty liver isn’t just a “liver problem”, but it’s a metabolic and cardiovascular risk marker that often shows up before people feel sick. 

If readers take one thing from this: your liver is remarkably forgiving until it isn’t, so small, repeatable changes (sleep/circadian rhythm, alcohol dose awareness, weight trend, whole-food patterning) done early are the real “detox.”

Melissa's avatar

I am very proud of the fact that my liver regenerated itself after being lacerated in a car accident. The human body is sooo cool! I also lost my spleen in that accident. I recently had my gallbladder removed. I’m surprised my other organs aren’t sloshing around in my abdomen from all the extra space 🤣

Adz's avatar

Amazing stuff. I’m so happy I decided to follow you on here. I have so much of your back-catalogue to explore!

I was wondering if senna is in the same category as green tea extract and kava, though in this case not as a dietary supplement, but as necessary combat constipation.

Byron Sanders's avatar

Excellent article, especially re liver detox supplements. A question that occurs is whether glutathione supplements are helpful for liver health. Thoughts?

Hortense60's avatar

I love hearing that something as basic as good sleep protects vital organs. And coffee! Don’t forget the coffee!

I have a neurotic friend who takes a raft of supplements but does not sleep. He’s a mess.

Michael Kirsch, MD's avatar

I read just this wk that coffee may protect against dementia. And now you point out that it may also protect my liver! My barista is more important to me than I realized! Well done!