Coffee Drinking and Serum Gamma-Glutamyltransferase: An Extended Study of Self-Defense Officials of Japan

PURPOSE: To examine the effect of coffee drinking on serum gamma-glutamyltransferase (GGT) level in relation to alcohol drinking, smoking, and degree of obesity in middle-aged Japanese men. METHODS: From 1986 to 1994, a total of 7637 male officials of the Self-Defense Forces of Japan aged 48–59 years received a preretirement health examination. Coffee drinking was ascertained by a self-administered questionnaire, and serum GGT level was measured. After excluding 1360 men with a possible pathologic condition influencing liver enzyme levels and 182 former alcohol drinkers, effect of coffee drinking on serum GGT was examined by a multiple linear regression model and analysis of variance adjusting for alcohol drinking, smoking, and body mass index (BMI). RESULTS: The adjusted percentage of difference in serum GGT was −4.3 (95% CI = −5.0; −3.5) per cup of coffee. The inverse coffee-GGT relation was most prominent among men drinking greater-or-equal, slanted 30 ml of ethanol and smoking greater-or-equal, slanted 15 cigarettes daily; and positive associations of alcohol and smoking with GGT were attenuated by coffee drinking, more clearly among men with BMI greater-or-equal, slanted 25.00 kg/m2. Adjusted percentages of difference in serum GGT were −2.6% (p = 0.0003) per cup of brewed coffee, and −5.1% (p = 0.0001) per cup of instant coffee, independently of each other. CONCLUSIONS: The present study suggests that coffee consumption may weaken GGT-induction by alcohol, and possibly by smoking. These effect modifications by coffee may differ according to the degree of obesity.