Does unfiltered coffee increase cholesterol levels?

From the Guidelines

Unfiltered coffee can increase cholesterol levels due to the presence of diterpenes, specifically cafestol and kahweol, which are not removed by the brewing process. Consuming unfiltered coffee preparations like French press, Turkish coffee, or boiled coffee regularly may raise total cholesterol and LDL ("bad") cholesterol. This effect is supported by the 2020 European Heart Journal study, which notes that coffee brewed by boiling ground coffee increases cholesterol levels 1. The study highlights the importance of considering the method of coffee preparation when assessing its impact on cardiovascular health. Key points to consider include:

• The type of coffee preparation: unfiltered coffee methods like boiling or French press allow diterpenes to remain in the beverage
• The amount of coffee consumed: drinking larger amounts of unfiltered coffee will have a greater impact on cholesterol levels
• Individual risk factors: people with existing high cholesterol or cardiovascular risk factors should consider switching to filtered coffee methods or limiting unfiltered coffee consumption. According to the study, an exception should be made for coffee brewed by boiling ground coffee, which increases cholesterol levels 1. Therefore, it is recommended to opt for filtered coffee methods to minimize the potential negative impact on cholesterol levels.

From the Research

Unfiltered Coffee and Cholesterol Levels

• Unfiltered coffee contains high concentrations of cholesterol-raising diterpenes, such as cafestol and kahweol 2, 3, 4, 5
• These diterpenes can increase serum lipid concentrations, including total cholesterol, low-density-lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, and triacylglycerols 3, 4, 5
• The effect of cafestol on serum lipid concentrations is much larger than the additional effect of kahweol 3
• Unfiltered coffee can raise serum cholesterol concentrations by 0.79 +/- 0.14 mmol/L (31 +/- 5 mg/dL) and LDL cholesterol by 0.57 +/- 0.13 mmol/L (22 +/- 5 mg/dL) 3
• The hyperlipidemic potential of unfiltered coffee mainly depends on its cafestol content 3

Comparison with Filtered Coffee

• Filtered coffee contains much lower concentrations of cafestol and kahweol compared to unfiltered coffee 2, 6
• Coffee prepared using coffee pads and the Senseo coffee machine contains minute levels of diterpenes comparable to those of filtered coffee 6
• The effect of filtered coffee on serum cholesterol levels is likely to be negligible 6

Mechanism of Action

• The coffee diterpenes may affect lipoprotein metabolism via effects on lipid transfer proteins and lecithin:cholesterol acyltransferase 4
• Cafestol raises the activity of cholesterylester transfer protein and phospholipid transfer protein, which may contribute to its hyperlipidemic effect 4