Coffee & Cholesterol

Undoubtedly, coffee is one of the most consumed brews throughout the world. Millions of people consume coffee every day. Coffee contains a caffeine, which helps in stimulating the nervous system. It increases the alertness of the users that is why people drink coffee in the morning. While coffee is associated with several health benefits, it also poses serious health consequences. There have been many studies stating the relation of coffee with cholesterol. Coffee is believed to increase the levels of cholesterol. However, from many studies, it has been hypothesised that the way you brew the coffee can impact the levels of cholesterol in the body.

Cholesterol is a produced by the liver and significantly affects your health. It is one of the main reasons of causing cardiovascular diseases. Apart from the body generating cholesterol, the food you eat also contains cholesterol. It depends on the type of food as higher fat concentration increases the cholesterol in the body. Coffee does not contain any cholesterol but it can regulate on how the body generates cholesterol.

While there is no direct link between coffee and cholesterol, the coffee contents are known to have substantial effect according to scientific studies. Coffee oils, scientifically known as diterpenes are the main contributors. These oils are generally found in all types of coffee. Cafestol, a type of diterpene, regulates the cholesterol and also determines body’s metabolism. These oils reduce the production of bile acids, which inversely increase the production of cholesterol. Cafestol is a compound that hugely affect the functions of the liver. Any person drinking more than 6 cups of coffee in a day, then he/ she is more likely to contract the cardiovascular disease.

Coffee brewing is a process of combining the coffee with hot water. Generally, more grounded the coffee is, more contents of oil comes in contact with the water. Constantly brewing the coffee grounds with hot water will have a higher proportion of cafestol. Different styles of brewing can determine the levels of cafestol. For instance, French Coffee has a higher concentration of cafestol, whereas American-style coffee has lower concentration because coffee grounds comes in contact with hot water just once. Constantly boiling the water with coffee has highest levels of cafestol. Drinking coffee in optimal amount can provide several health benefits but anything excess can severely affect cholesterol in the body.