Drinking coffee can lower risk of alcoholic pancreatitis

Mar 20 (HealthCentersOnline) - Scientists from the University of Liverpool recently discovered how coffee consumption can reduce the risk of developing alcohol-related pancreatitis. The research is published in the journal TRENDS in Pharmacological Sciences and Gastroenterology.

Pancreatitis is inflammation of the pancreas, a hand-sized organ located behind the lower stomach that aids in digestion and energy production. The condition typically causes severe abdominal pain. Alcohol abuse is one of the two leading causes of pancreatitis.

Although scientists were unsure why alcohol triggered pancreatitis, they found that it causes the premature release of digestive enzymes and impacts the small ducts that transport enzymes within the pancreas. As a result, digestive juices leak into surrounding tissues and organs.

Researchers from the Physiological Laboratory and Division of Surgery at the University of Liverpool discovered that, at the cellular level, alcohol and fat can damage specialized structures called mitochondria, disabling the cells. The damage causes calcium to build up, which in turn damages the pancreas...........

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