Different types of sweetened coffee consumption, genetic predictor of gut microbe, and the risk of metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease.

Consuming more than 2.5 servings per day of unsweetened coffee was associated with a lower risk of MASLD compared to non-consumers.

• Adjusted HR of 0.70 (95% CI: 0.60–0.82) for unsweetened coffee consumption >2.5 servings/day vs. non-consumers.
• Study included 185,437 participants free of MASLD at baseline from the UK Biobank.
• 1,536 incident MASLD cases were documented during a median follow-up of 10.49 years.
• Dietary consumption was assessed through 24-hour dietary recall questionnaires.

Consuming more than 2.5 servings per day of caffeinated coffee was associated with a lower risk of MASLD compared to non-consumers.

• Adjusted HR of 0.78 (95% CI: 0.67–0.91) for caffeinated coffee consumption >2.5 servings/day vs. non-consumers.
• Caffeinated coffee showed a statistically significant inverse association with MASLD risk.
• The association was assessed using Cox proportional hazards regression models.

Consuming more than 2.5 servings per day of a combination of unsweetened and caffeinated coffee was associated with a lower risk of MASLD.

• Adjusted HR of 0.69 (95% CI: 0.58–0.82) for combined unsweetened and caffeinated coffee consumption >2.5 servings/day vs. non-consumers.
• This combination showed the strongest inverse association among the coffee types examined.

Sugar-sweetened and artificially sweetened coffee consumption were not significantly associated with the risk of MASLD.

• No significant association was found between sugar-sweetened coffee consumption and MASLD risk.
• No significant association was found between artificially sweetened coffee consumption and MASLD risk.
• This contrasts with the significant protective associations observed for unsweetened and caffeinated coffee.

The associations between coffee consumption and MASLD risk were consistent across genetic risk levels of intestinal microbiota abundance and MASLD genetic predisposition, with no significant interactions observed.

• Genetic risk scores (GRSs) for relative abundance of intestinal microbiota were calculated using 19 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs).
• GRSs for MASLD genetic risk were calculated using 5 SNPs.
• All P values for interactions were ≥ 0.05, indicating no statistically significant interaction between coffee consumption and genetic risk scores.
• Findings held irrespective of genetic predisposition related to the abundance of intestinal microbiota or MASLD itself.

The study cohort consisted of 185,437 UK Biobank participants free of MASLD at baseline, followed for a median of 10.49 years.

• Incident MASLD cases were ascertained through linked hospital records and death registries.
• A total of 1,536 incident MASLD cases were documented over the follow-up period.
• Cox proportional hazards regression models were used to estimate HRs and 95% CIs.