Protective Effects of Coffee on Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatotic Liver Disease (MASLD): A Potential Interplay with the Gut Microbiome

Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) is a major health issue worldwide, affecting more than 33% of individuals and featuring an interplay with non-communicable diseases, such as obesity and type 2 diabetes (53% and 23%, respectively). Epidemiological trends indicate MASLD as the fast-growing and common cause of chronic liver disease in the past decade. Cross-sectional studies show that most MASLD cases are attributable to lifestyle habits (e.g., sedentary habits) and nutritional aspects (e.g., adherence to a Westernized-style diet), whereas scarce pharmacological strategies are available for patients. Prominent findings evidenced that coffee beverages have an extensive and diverse pharmacopeia of bioactive coffee compounds (BCC) [e.g., caffeine (CAF); chlorogenic acid (CGA); trigonelline (TRI); kahweol (KWL); cafestol (CFL); and others)] with proven beneficial effects on upper and lower gastrointestinal tract diseases and carcinogenesis, due to their anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties on the gut–liver axis and profound interplay with the gut microbiome. In this chapter, we compile cutting-edge findings from both human and preclinical studies on the beneficial effects of coffee beverages and their most abundant BCC on hepatic outcomes, exploring mechanical aspects of the gut microbiome and liver interplay.