Research Review: Is Espresso raising your Cholesterol Levels?
Recent studies have suggested that certain types of coffees can raise your cholesterol levels, leading to adverse health effects. But wait! Haven't people been telling you that coffee has benefits for reducing risk of heart attacks, strokes, liver disease, and liver cancer?
What it comes down to is the amount, type, and way you prepare your coffee.
Recent research has found that espresso and pressed coffee contain high amounts of diterpenes, specifically cafestol and kahweol, which are oily substances that alter the way your body regulates cholesterol.
The exact way that these diterpenes affect cholesterol levels is still fairly unknown and needs more research. The theories that are currently in place suggest that cafestol interrupts transfer proteins that are in charge of regulating how much cholesterol is in your blood. So, what that means is cafestol, an oily substance, blocks or restricts the receptors in your body that are in charge of increasing or decreasing the amount of cholesterol in your blood. This is similar to your homes thermostat. When your thermostat senses that the temperature is high it kicks out more cold air to keep a steady temperature, but if you put a fan right under your thermostat it won't pick up the increasing temperature of the whole house and kick on the AC. The diterpenes are the fan blocking or masking the true levels in your body.
Why is this such a bad thing?
Cholesterol is an oily or waxy like substance in your blood and when levels are too high it can form deposits or clots and these lead to the narrowing of your blood vessels. When the vessels narrow it raises your blood pressure and puts more stress on your heart to pump blood throughout your body, this can lead to heart attacks. Think about a folded over hose, when you fold it all the way the water flow stops, but when it is not folded all the way the water pressure is much harder than when the hose is flowing normally. If the pressure in your arteries raises too much is can cause parts of the deposits to break off and get lodged in other smaller vessels, this is what can cause strokes.
Should I stop drinking coffee?
Not necessarily!
Changing to a filtered coffee, away from espresso or pressed coffee (like the French-press), can be an effective way to lower the amount of diterpenes in your coffee. Using a filter helps to remove the oily substance, it is important to be using a high quality filter to remove the most amount of diterpenes.
The research showed that the amount and type of coffee had an effect on how much cholesterol levels rose in individuals.
3-5 cups of espresso daily = a significant increase in blood cholesterol
This was shown more in Men than in Women, but the general trend showed increased cholesterol levels for both Men and Women
Over 6 cups boiled coffee (pressed) daily = a significant increase in blood cholesterol levels in both men and women
Over 6 cups filtered coffee daily = small increase in cholesterol in women and no increase shown in men
Instant coffee = no dose-response found (aka no major changes to cholesterol levels were found)
*Always remember that the way the coffee is grown, roasted, and brewed all changes the amount of caffeine and diterpenes in the brewed coffee. One cup of coffee from a shop one day can be significantly different from the same type of cup from the same shop the next day!
It was shown that when study participants stopped drinking coffee their cholesterol levels improved.
How do you see if your cholesterol levels will change?
To check if your coffee is having an effect on your cholesterol levels you will need to compare recent lab levels. In order to do that you will need to get your labs drawn for cholesterol prior to stopping or changing the type of coffee you drink. Then after 2-3 months of changing or stopping your coffee intake have your labs done again and compare your results. It is not effective to compare labs from prior to starting drinking the type of coffee you do because there are many factors, other than the type of coffee you drink, including age, which can change cholesterol levels.
Written By Meghan Hawley, Ellen Byron and Associates
References:
Association between espresso coffee and serum total cholesterol: the Tromsø Study 2015–2016
Open Heart 2022;9:e001946. doi: 10.1136/openhrt-2021-001946
Urgert R, Katan MB. The cholesterol-raising factor from coffee beans. J R Soc Med. 1996 Nov;89(11):618-23. PMID: 9135590; PMCID: PMC1295997.
Svatun ÅL, Løchen M, Thelle DS, et al
Urgert R, Essed N, van der Weg G, Kosmeijer-Schuil TG, Katan MB. Separate effects of the coffee diterpenes cafestol and kahweol on serum lipids and liver aminotransferases. Am J Clin Nutr. 1997 Feb;65(2):519-24. doi: 10.1093/ajcn/65.2.519. PMID: 9022539.
van Tol A, Urgert R, de Jong-Caesar R, van Gent T, Scheek LM, de Roos B, Katan MB. The cholesterol-raising diterpenes from coffee beans increase serum lipid transfer protein activity levels in humans. Atherosclerosis. 1997 Jul 25;132(2):251-4. doi: 10.1016/s0021-9150(97)00099-3. PMID: 9242972.
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