Cholesterol Coffee link – the ugly Truth behind

I am sure that the cholesterol coffee link is the last thing you have in mind when you are drinking your morning cup of coffee. Your only thought is a strong start for your busy day.

But, Wait!


  • There is solid evidence (confirmed by recent studies) that coffee may raise your blood cholesterol levels significantly. How?!

  • First, it depends on the type of coffee you are used to drink (regular or decaffeinated; filtered or not).

    • Second, it also depends on how many cups per day you drink.

    The main culprit for the increase of blood cholesterol is Caffeine. Actually, caffeine is a natural substance found in many plants. It is usually used to stimulate the central nervous system or as diuretic.

    Increased doses of caffeine cause tachycardia (fast heart rate), too much urination, nausea, vomiting, anxiety, depression, and difficulty in sleeping.

  • Now, according to American Heart Association, caffeine can release many free fatty acids from fat tissues in your body. In this way your blood cholesterol levels as well as your risk of developing coronary heart diseases will be raised.

    • Therefore, drinking decaffeinated coffee has been suggested to have less effect on increasing your total blood cholesterol levels than regular coffee.

  • Recently, scientists have discovered a new substance in coffee called Cafestol which can affect blood cholesterol markedly, known also as the most powerful cholesterol-elevating substance by scientists.

    • Cafesterol is found to capture a receptor in the intestine which is very important in regulating blood cholesterol.

    BE AWARE: The maximum levels of Cafestol are found in:

    • Boiled Scandinavian brew;
    • French press coffee;
    • Espresso.

    Filter papers are found to remove most of the substances increasing blood cholesterol levels. But, unfortunately, removing Caffeine doesn’t remove Cafestol.

  • However, many researchers have been done to understand the cholesterol coffee link and according to them, it is proved that drinking about 6 cups of unfiltered coffee daily can raise total cholesterol and LDL “Bad cholesterol” levels in your blood.

    • That’s why, in case you love drinking unfiltered coffee (and can’t do otherwise), you must have your blood cholesterol level checked regularly.

    On the other hand, although myriad researches have been made to prove the link between coffee and heart disease, the results remain controversy. In general, scientists agree that drinking 1-2 cups of coffee per day can’t cause you any harm.

    In December 1998, a Medline search was published studying effect of regular and decaffeinated coffee in humans. This report has revealed that increased in drinking coffee can raise your blood cholesterol levels.

  • Furthermore, boiled coffee elevates your cholesterol more than filtered coffee, and if you drink more than 4 cups daily, then you might be at higher risks for acute myocardial infarction. You can avoid harmful effect of coffee on your heart by moderate drinking of coffee, especially, if you prefer decaffeinated filtered coffee.

    • Another study published in Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) proved that drinking 750 ml regular filtered coffee daily has elevated total blood cholesterol level (0.24 mmol/L)and LDL “Bad” cholesterol (0.17 mmol/L)as well, indicating a good evidence of Cholesterol Coffee link.

    Now the solution is in your hand. Know what affects blood cholesterol levels and try to avoid them in order to be healthy and safe from any heart events. Good luck!


    Related topics :


    References:

    http://jama.ama-assn.org/cgi/reprint/267/6/811

    http://aje.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/128/1/124

    http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/06/070614162223.htm


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