Harsh coffee selections that negatively affect your cholesterol numbers:
Kickstart your day at the office the usual way - unpack your bag, set up your desk, and make a dash for the coffee machine? Count yourself among the multitude.
Turns out, Joe could be more than a jolt - it could also be a joke on your heart health. The National Coffee Association illustrates the average American guzzles over three cups of java a day. In moderation, this brew often gets a health thumbs-up for its links to diabetes and cancer reduction.
But there's a less popular side to your morning brew: natural compounds that amp up your cholesterol. Preparation methods play a significant role in how much of these heart-cloggers you're taking down with your cup o' joe.
A Sweden-based research team recently put the spotlight on workplace coffee machines. After testing 14 machines in various workplaces, the results were clear - these machines often produce coffee riddled with cholesterol-elevating substances. These problematic compounds, dubbed diterpenes, belong to a group of naturally occurring fats that have been shown to raise LDL (or "bad") cholesterol and decrease HDL ("good") cholesterol, increasing the risk of cardiovascular disease.
Unfiltered or boiled coffee is a diterpene hotspot, as these compounds aren't effectively removed during brewing. So, what's the office coffee scene like? According to Dr David Iggman, co-author of the study published in the journal Nutrition, Metabolism and Cardiovascular Diseases, many workplace machines produce coffee with high levels of diterpenes.
So, what should you do about it? Iggman is quick to point out that coffee, in general, offers a plethora of health benefits. But, if you're knocking back multiple machine-made cups daily, it might be worth checking the brewing method.
Liquid-model machines, which combine liquid coffee concentrate with hot water, produce coffee with comparatively low levels of diterpenes. On the other hand, brewing machines that use ground or whole beans can lead to higher levels of these cholesterol-elevating compounds. In short, paper-filtered or instant coffee is your safest bet if you're watching your cholesterol levels.
It's essential to remember that moderation is the key. Java is far from the demon it's sometimes made out to be, but keeping an eye on your intake and brewing method can spare you an unintentional hit on your heart health.
About Dr David Iggman
Dr David Iggman is an associate researcher at the Center for Clinical Research Dalarna, Uppsala University, Sweden. His research has been featured in esteemed journals like The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Diabetes, and the Journal of Internal Medicine.
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Enrichment Data:
The heart health aspect of coffee mainly revolves around compounds called diterpenes, particularly cafestol. These compounds are known to raise LDL ("bad") cholesterol levels, increasing the risk of cardiovascular disease.
The cholesterol content of coffee depends significantly on the brewing method used:
- Workplace Coffee Machines (Metal Filter or No Filter): These machines produce coffee with significantly higher levels of cafestol, with median concentrations around 176 mg/L.
- Filtered Coffee (Paper Filter): Traditional paper-filtered coffee contains much lower levels of diterpenes, with reported median concentrations around 12 mg/L.
Unfiltered coffee types, such as boiled coffee, French press, or espresso, contain high levels of cafestol and other diterpenes. Regular consumption of unfiltered coffee can raise LDL cholesterol by 10 to 30 mg/dL within weeks, increasing the risk of cardiovascular disease.
Therefore, if heart health is a concern, opting for paper-filtered coffee is preferable over coffee from standard workplace machines or unfiltered preparations.
- Joe's boost to your day isn't just a jolt of energy; it could also be a joke on your heart health, considering the average American consumes over three cups of coffee daily, which may contain cholesterol-elevating substances.
- According to Dr David Iggman, a researcher at the Center for Clinical Research Dalarna, workplace coffee machines often produce coffee riddled with cholesterol-raising diterpenes, a group of naturally occurring fats linked to increased risks of cardiovascular disease.
- Iggman suggests that liquid-model machines, which use liquid coffee concentrate with hot water, produce coffee with comparatively low levels of diterpenes, making them a safer choice for those worried about cholesterol levels.
- In contrast, brewing machines that use ground or whole beans can lead to higher levels of these cholesterol-elevating compounds, as these haven't been filtered out effectively during the brewing process.
- In a study published in the journal Nutrition, Metabolism and Cardiovascular Diseases, a Swedish research team tested 14 workplace coffee machines and found that these machines often produce coffee with high levels of diterpenes.
- It's crucial to remember that moderation is key when it comes to coffee, as additional studies have shown that java offers numerous health benefits, but regular consumption of unfiltered coffee could increase the risk of cardiovascular disease.
