Women who drink five or more cups of coffee a day have a reduces risk of needing gallstone surgery.

In a new report from the long-running Nurses Health Study, researchers say that women who drink caffeinated coffee are less likely to develop gallstones. A group of over 80,000 women was followed for over 20 years, and their coffee intake monitored. Almost 8,000 needed gallbladder surgery.

Analysis revealed that the rate of surgery was 25 per cent less for women who drank coffee compared to those who did not drink it. Drinking more than five cups a day afforded greater protection than drinking up to four cups. The method of brewing the coffee did not have a significant impact on the results. The researchers feel that it is the caffeine in the coffee that protects the gallbladder. For caffeine is known to make the gallbladder contract, and this probably prevents the formation of stones.

Source

Gastroenterology December 2002