Sip With Caution: How This Coffee Variety Could Elevate Cholesterol Levels

Sip With Caution: How This Coffee Variety Could Elevate Cholesterol Levels - Coffee is one of the most widely consumed beverages in the world, and not only does it provide a pick-me-up, but it can also prevent several chronic diseases and reduce the risk of death...

Sep 28, 2023 - 04:37

Sip With Caution: How This Coffee Variety Could Elevate Cholesterol Levels

Coffee is one of the most widely consumed beverages in the world, and not only does it provide a pick-me-up, but it can also prevent several chronic diseases and reduce the risk of death. However, people with high blood cholesterol should be careful when drinking coffee. Some studies have found that the caffeine in coffee increases blood cholesterol levels and that aromatic espresso, French-style filter-brewed coffee, and Turkish coffee are all high-risk choices. In contrast, hand-brewed or drip coffee filtered through filter paper is safer.

Coffee is rich in antioxidants and other active ingredients and has been shown to help prevent liver disease, Type 2 diabetes, dementia, and heart disease.

Drinking Coffee to Prevent Diabetes

Coffee drinkers are less likely to develop Type 2 diabetes than noncoffee drinkers. The polyphenols and minerals (such as magnesium) in coffee can improve the effectiveness of insulin and glucose metabolism in the body.

In a 2014 study published in Diabetes Care, it was found that people who drank more coffee had a lower risk of diabetes and that both caffeinated and decaffeinated coffee was associated with a lower risk of diabetes. The risk of diabetes was reduced by 8 percent with one cup of coffee daily and 33 percent with six cups per day compared to no coffee.

2 to 3 Cups of Coffee a Day Is Best for Cardiovascular Health

A study published in November 2022 in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology, an affiliated publication of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC), showed that moderate consumption of ground coffee, instant coffee, and decaffeinated coffee could significantly reduce the mortality rate and risk of cardiovascular disease and that those who drank two to three cups had the lowest risk of cardiovascular disease. Drinking caffeinated ground or instant coffee also reduced the risk of cardiac arrhythmias.

According to the ESC, all types of coffee are associated with reduced all-cause mortality. Compared to no coffee, drinking two to three cups of decaffeinated coffee means a 14 percent lower risk of death and a 6 percent lower risk of cardiovascular disease; drinking two to three cups of ground coffee means a 27 percent lower risk of death and a 20 percent lower risk of cardiovascular disease; and drinking two to three cups of instant coffee means an 11 percent lower risk of death and a 9 percent lower risk of cardiovascular disease.

Large-Scale Survey: Filtered Coffee Is the Healthiest

Although many studies confirm the health benefits of drinking coffee, some found that ingredients in coffee, such as diterpenes, can increase blood cholesterol levels and lead to high blood cholesterol. This is mainly related to the way coffee is brewed.

In a study published in the May 2022 issue of BMJ Open Heart, researchers analyzed the relationship between coffee drinking habits and total blood cholesterol in 21,083 Norwegian middle-aged and older adults aged 40 and older.

By comparing different methods of brewing coffee, including espresso (e.g., capsule coffee brewed in a coffee machine), filtered coffee, brewed coffee (e.g., French press), and instant coffee, the researchers found that drinking brewed or filtered coffee was significantly associated with elevated serum total cholesterol in both men and women. Serum total cholesterol was also higher in people who drank three to five cups of espresso daily, particularly in men.

A study published in the December 2020 issue of the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology also showed an association between coffee brewing method and heart attack and mortality, with coffee brewed using the healthiest filter method.

The study included a representative sample of the Norwegian population—508,747 healthy men and women between the ages of 20 and 79. Participants completed questionnaires about the amount and type of coffee consumed, and the researchers also collected data on variables that might influence coffee consumption and heart disease so that these factors could be considered in the analysis. Examples included smoking, education, exercise, height, weight, blood pressure, and cholesterol.

Over an average of 20 years of follow-up study, 46,341 participants died, with 12,621 dying of cardiovascular disease, including 6,202 from heart disease.

According to the study, unfiltered brewed coffee contains about 30 times the concentration of the diterpenes cafestol and kahweol compared to filtered coffee. Both substances have a lipid-raising effect, causing an increase in serum total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, adversely affecting heart health. Most of these substances are removed when they pass through the coffee filter.

Coffee brewed using the filter method is the healthiest. (SharkPaeCNX/Shutterstock)
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The research concluded that drinking filtered coffee is healthier than drinking no coffee. Drinking filtered coffee was associated with a 15 percent lower risk of all-cause mortality during a follow-up visit than not drinking coffee. This may be because coffee is rich in antioxidants, such as polyphenols, which have anti-thrombotic properties. Coffee also prevents diabetes, a risk factor for cardiovascular disease. For deaths due to cardiovascular disease, filtered coffee reduced the risk of death by 12 percent in men and 20 percent in women compared to no coffee. The lowest mortality rate was found in people who consumed one to four cups of filtered coffee daily.

The researchers recommended that people with high blood cholesterol or those concerned about cholesterol levels should not drink unfiltered coffee brewed in a coffee pot.

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