A new study, published in the American Gastroenterological Association Institute's official journal, holds some hope for Hepatitis C patients suffering from chronic liver disease. According to researchers, drinking three or more cups of coffee a day can help lower liver enzyme levels and slow the development of chronic liver disease and liver cancer.

Coffee consumption seemed to help patients better respond to Hepatitis C treatment. Non-coffee drinkers had a 46% early response rate to treatment, compared a whopping 73% response rate among those who routinely drank three or more cups of coffee a day. This is the first major study to analyze coffee and its relationship to Hepatitis C treatment. While encouraged, researchers stress that additional studies are needed before concrete conclusions may be drawn.

It is estimated that 270-300 million people are infected with Hepatitis C, worldwide. This study included over 880 patients and was conducted by Neal Freedman, PhD, MPH of the National Cancer Institute.