Home > Coffee and Cholesterol: What’s the Scoop?

Coffee and Cholesterol: What’s the Scoop?

Source: Nutrition Journal

There’s a new story on the coffee scene in relation to its effects on health; this time the study wanted to find out how coffee affects cholesterol levels. The conclusion of a very detailed and technical discussion is that the filter makes all the difference. For filtered coffee preparations, such as filtered, perked, espresso, there is little if any cholesterol elevation in the blood. But Turkish and French press preps can be problematic.

The study was done in Asia by Asian and German researchers. They tested several types of coffee and coffee preparation methods common throughout the world to determine the amounts of cafestol and kahweol. These are two potent antioxidants found in coffee which are good because they strengthen the immune system. However, they also contribute to the “bad” cholesterol known as LDL.

The good news is that they can be filtered out, so as a result, filtered coffee methods will have negligible or no effects on the amount of LDL levels. The best preparation methods for coffee which won’t affect LDL are: filter, perked, espresso, cappuccino, lattes, and instant coffees.

Before you throw out your French press, Turkish and mocha pots, there is one more consideration. The premise of the study, that there is“bad” cholesterol which causes heart disease, may not be true. Alternative health practitioners have found that cholesterol is not the culprit in heart disease many fear. Rather the problem is inflammation. This controversy remains to be resolved.

We have created a table that shows some health effects of coffee. This should help to clarify the effects – positive and negative –associated with our favorite preparation methods. And of course, the best solution is to drink coffee in moderation.

Brew on in good health.

COFFEE PREP Negative/Positive Effects on the Body
Turkish Contains the highest amount of caffeine - about 200 ‭mg, about ‭6 ‭mg cafestol and kahweol. Not recommended if high cholesterol is a concern. Those sensitive to caffeine should drink this coffee till the afternoon, if you wish in early evening. Drinking this coffee late at night may disrupt sleep.
 
Filter/Percolator Contains about 160 ‭mg of caffeine. Your coffee through a filter removes cafestol and kahweol, leaving 1 mg; the amount does not cause an increase in ‭LDL.
 
Espresso Contains 75 mg of caffeine - a relatively large amount for a small glass, only 1 mg cafestol and kahweol. A lot of caffeine can increase stress, contribute to a sense of tension and discomfort to the body, increase heart rate and raise blood pressure. Espresso linked to negligible increase in cholesterol.
 
Low-fat latte or cappuccino on low-fat milk Latte contains 1⁄4 espresso and 3⁄4 milk - a cappuccino has 1/4 espresso, one half regular milk and a forth frothed milk. They contain about ‭75 mg and 1 ‭ mg cafestol cafestol and kahweol. 200 ml milk supply about 20% of the recommended amount of calcium per day for adults. Drink contains about ‭80 calories, but not problematic for high cholesterol.
 
Instant coffee, regular or grainy Contains 100 mg of caffeine and does not contain cafestol and kahweol. High caffeine is‭still‭at‭such‭a‭level,‭it’s better to drink it until the early evening, to maintain quality of sleep. Suitable levels for increased cholesterol.
 
Decaffeinated coffee Contains about 15 mg of caffeine, without cafestol and kahweol. Suitable levels of increased cholesterol. You can drink it at night. In a French trial it was discovered that decaffeinated coffee made from green coffee beans contain an active substance called chlorogenic acid. This acid interferes with the breakdown of glucose in the liver and helps balance the blood glucose level. If your glucose level is high, you might prefer decaffeinated coffee.
 
Mocha pot Contains a high amount of caffeine, about 120 ‭mg, about 6 ‭mg cafestol and kahweol. Not recommended if high cholesterol is a concern. Those sensitive to caffeine should drink only until the afternoon.
 

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REVIEWS & COMMENTS

  • INTERESTING

    EricBNC | Thu, 04/19/2012 - 13:58


    I thought espresso would be up there since the crema is a product of oil emulsion - I wonder how accurate these results are or if they are talking about a different kind of espresso?

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  • THIS IS GOOD NEWS FOR ME

    hoonchul | Sat, 02/18/2012 - 12:11

    This is good news for me since I have high cholesterol, though I too am surprised that espresso counts as filtered coffee.

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  • SUPRISED

    Wakeknot | Mon, 02/13/2012 - 21:29

    I am a bit surprised espresso counts as filtered and french press does not since they both use a metal filter of sorts.

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  • BAH...

    jbviau | Sun, 02/12/2012 - 23:59

    Do they define cup size in the original article? If so, I didn't see it, and the consumption level they were talking about at one point (5 cups a day) was higher than mine. Regardless, I'm skeptical about both the duration of the bump up in cholesterol they measured and the directness of the link between cholesterol and heart disease. Plus, I figure that if drinking press-style coffee is the worst thing I do healthwise, what's the big deal? Aside: I also eat the burnt parts on grilled meat. Should I start writing my own obituary? ;)

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  • IT NEVER CEASES TO AMAZE ME

    GmanJenks | Sun, 02/12/2012 - 20:21

    It never ceases to amaze me how much time and money has and is being spent on the health benefits or detriments of coffee. Thank you for bringing this one to our attention, as someone that struggles with cholesterol levels I won't be rushing to use a french press more often.

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