BEIJING, June 13 (Xinhuanet) -- In a study of more than 125,000 people over 22 years, one cup of coffee per day cuts the risk of liver alcoholic cirrhosis by 20 percent. Four cups per day reduced the risk by 80 percent.

    The study was co-authored by Doctor Arthur Klatsky of the Kaiser Permanente Division of Research in Oakland, California, the U.S.. Its findings are published in the latetest Archives of Internal Medicine.

    It is unclear whether it is the caffeine or some other ingredient in coffee that provides the protection, said Arthur Klatsky.

    The researchers found no reduced risk of cirrhosis for tea drinkers. Tea has less caffeine than coffee and there were fewer heavy tea drinkers in the study, so if caffeine is the protective ingredient, an effect may not have shown up for tea in the study, Klatsky said.

    Experts warn that coffee isn't a cure-all, and say the best way to avoid cirrhosis from alcohol is to give up drinking.

    Cirrhosis from all causes kills more than 27,000 Americans a year. Enditem