This is depressing....Not sure if this is news to anyone, but I sure didn't know about it.
HOUSTON -- (June 13, 2007) -- Drinking your coffee black or decaffeinated to keep cholesterol in check? Think again.
Cafestol, a compound found in coffee, elevates cholesterol by hijacking a receptor in an intestinal pathway critical to its regulation, said researchers from Baylor College of Medicine in a report that appears in the July issue of the journal Molecular Endocrinology.
In fact, cafestol is the most potent dietary cholesterol-elevating agent known, said Dr. David Moore, professor of molecular and cellular biology at BCM, and Dr. Marie-Louise Ricketts, a postdoctoral student and first author of the report. Cafetiere, or French press coffee, boiled Scandinavian brew and espresso contain the highest levels of the compound, which is removed by paper filters used in most other brewing processes. Removing caffeine does not remove cafestol, however.
I read about this recently either here or on another site...as a consequence, I retired my gold filter and stocked up on unbleached Melitta paper filters. There's a difference but after a few days I was accustomed to it.
On a serious note I highly doubt that coffee in moderation poses and significant risks to health. In fact I would suspect the average persons diet and lifestyle would be just as detrimental.
If one looked hard enough you can find study after study on the Internet about the many health benefits of coffee. The key is moderation and balance of diet and lifestyle.
I wouldn't be afraid of coffee. Enjoy it in moderation. Drink responsibly.
CoffeeRoastersClub Senior Member Joined: 6 Jul 2005 Posts: 2,168 Location: Vernon Expertise: Professional
Espresso: Vintage La Pavoni Lever... Grinder: KitchenAid Pro Line Burr... Vac Pot: Vintage Silex Drip: Aeropress, French Press Roaster: "EL SUPREMO" w/QuikSPIN-CRC...
On a serious note I highly doubt that coffee in moderation poses and significant risks to health. In fact I would suspect the average persons diet and lifestyle would be just as detrimental.
If one looked hard enough you can find study after study on the Internet about the many health benefits of coffee. The key is moderation and balance of diet and lifestyle.
I wouldn't be afraid of coffee. Enjoy it in moderation. Drink responsibly.
The statement on the cholesterol raising effect of drinking unfiltered coffee is correct and has been shown in many studies. However, in the popular media it is stated way to absolute, long-term effects in humans have never been studied properly in a RCT. The only proper RCT performed was way to short to make sensible comments on the long-term issue. Furthermore this study only showed significant effects on cholesterol in the people 'enjoying' 0.9 ltr pretty strong caffetiere coffee in the morning.
As mentioned above, it is all about balance. Its the low fibre, high saturated fats of all sorts in the common western diet i would be more concerned about than the cup of unfiltered coffee in the morning.
We all have to decide what potential risks we are willing to take.
After reading the fear mongers, and the nay sayers, I decided that for me, Why would I want to potentially damage my health if it turns out the fear mongers are right.
I still love a cup of FP once in a while, but I've switched back to drip for the majority of my coffee drinking.
Interesting debate. Maybe someday we'll know who was right.
I don't drink alcohol, I eat the right sort of foods and exercise regularly--a man's gotta have one vice and mine in coffee, wonderful espesso, ristretto, flat white etc..............................so I'm going to stick my head in the hole in the ground on this one!!!
And just a few months back all the scientists said "genetics plays the biggest role in your cholesterol levels, not diet, and not exercise"...
Live a life of moderation and try to be happy. We all die, and its not worth freaking out over everything that 'might' not be the best thing for you to eat/drink/breath/etc.
edited to add: i spoke to my wife who's a diet tech, and works with a registered dietician. Both agreed that watching your saturated fat is FAR more important than dietary cholesterol intake in terms of your health.
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