Coffee could be an important weapon in the fight against liver cancer, and the more you drink, the lower your risk, says a British study published in BMJ open.

Researchers from the University of Southampton and the University of Edinburgh examined data from 26 studies which included more than 2.25 million people. They discovered that drinking one cup of coffee a day cuts the risk of hepatocellular cancer (HCC), the most common form of liver cancer, by 20 percent and two cups drop the risk by 35 percent.

But if you really love your joe, however, you're in luck: According to the data, five cups of coffee a day slashes your risk in half.

"Our findings are significant given the increasing incidence of HCC and the overall poor prognosis of this condition," lead researcher Dr. Oliver Kennedy of the University of Southampton told the Daily Mail.

"Coffee is widely believed to possess a range of health benefits, and these latest findings suggest it could have a significant effect on liver cancer risk," Kennedy said.

Decaffeinated coffee was protective, although to a lesser extent. Still, the researchers said, decaffeinated coffee might be a helpful lifestyle weapon against liver cancer for those who limit their consumption of coffee because of symptoms related to caffeine.

"We have shown that coffee reduces cirrhosis and also liver cancer in a dose-dependent manner," Professor Peter Hayes of the University of Edinburgh told The Guardian. "Coffee has also been reported to reduce the risk of death from many other causes.

"Our research adds to the evidence that, in moderation, coffee can be a wonderful natural medicine."

It's not the first time a study found that coffee fought liver disease. A 2016 study conducted at the University of Southampton found that two cups of coffee a day reduced the risk of liver cirrhosis — scarring due to alcohol and viruses like hepatitis C — by 44 percent.

The study, which was published in the science journal Alimentary Pharmacology and Therapeutics, also found that coffee cut the risk of dying from cirrhosis by almost half.