O’Liver is sharing the love spruiking the health benefits of coffee

People often enjoy a coffee or two in the morning but the many health benefits it offers are not widely known.

Customers looking for their regular coffee fix are in for a real treat this Friday, as O’Liver, Hepatitis Victoria’s giant liver mascot, and friends will be enticing city dwellers and passers-by to learn about viral hepatitis and the health benefits of a good cup of Joe!

Even better, recipients will also receive a beautiful ceramic coffee mug that is on-trend sustainable.

O’Liver will be at the entrance to Hosier Lane (Flinders Lane/Street) in the city centre from 9 am giving away free coffee cards and Love Your Liver ceramic mugs.

The cards can be redeemed at Good Coffee Good 2 Go, a social enterprise café that helps young people gain access to work experience and skills.

Coffee’s health benefits are real and measurable

In recent Hepatitis Victoria news, Dr Paul Gow, a gastroenterologist at the Austin Hospital and former chair of Hepatitis Victoria’s Liver Health Advisory Committee recommended drinking coffee to maintain and improve liver health.

“We don’t exactly understand how it works but there is an increasing amount of observational data that suggests that drinking coffee is beneficial for your liver,” says Dr Gow.

“People who drink coffee have a reduced risk of developing scarring or fibrosis of the liver and there’s increasing and quite good evidence that amongst those with viral hepatitis and scarring of the liver, drinking coffee actually reduces the risk of liver cancer, which is amazing to think about.”

There are many different biologically active compounds in coffee but the compound or combination of compounds responsible for its beneficial health effects on the liver remains a mystery.

“The body of evidence is increasingly suggesting that drinking coffee, if you’re able to and there’s no intolerance for it, that drinking coffee is good for your liver,” says Dr Gow.

Dr Gow is keen to stress that he receives no funding from the caffeine industry, “…in fact I support them significantly with my own habit,” he says.