Does coffee affect cholesterol? Again, there are many variables that are at work here. However, it has been shown scientifically that unfiltered coffee does in fact raise cholesterol to some degree. It appears that 2 elements called diterpenes or coffee oils (non caloric oils) called cafestol and kahweol are the culprits at work here. However, it takes substantial unfiltered coffee to raise your cholesterol. It has been shown that 10 cups of unfiltered coffee can raise cholesterol in susceptible people by 20%.
It affects mainly LDL and triglycerides. So what is unfiltered coffee? Unfiltered coffee is mostly drank in Europe, so think French press coffee, Moka pots or stove top espresso makers and such. Drip brewed coffee like we enjoy in North America where we use paper filters, traps the oils that cause your cholesterol to rise. So drinking filtered coffee does not raise your cholesterol. The bottom line is that it is unknown if this cholesterol increase from coffee is detrimental to the same extent as the increase we get in cholesterol from fatty animal foods. But if you are concerned, enjoy your filtered coffee instead.
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