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COFFEE AND CHOLESTEROL.

Does drinking coffee raise cholesterol levels. Previous epidemiologic studies have produced conflicting results. In this new, carefully controlled trial, Bak and Grobbee randomly assigned 107 young adults with normal cholesterol levels to drink no coffee or four to six cups of boiled or filtered coffee per day for nine weeks.

Total serum cholesterol levels rose by 10 percent in the group drinking boiled coffee but did not rise in subjects drinking filtered coffee or no coffee. Since the study ended after nine weeks, the investigators could not determine whether cholesterol levels would have risen further with continued drinking of boiled coffee.

The authors speculate that boiling coffee extracts more cholesterol-raising substances (probably substances other than caffeine) from the beans. Theoretically, the increase in total cholesterol among boiled-coffee drinkers could pose an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, but this study does not address that question. On balance, this report and previous epidemiologic studies suggest that it may be preferable to filter coffee.

— ALK

Published in Journal Watch General Medicine December 5, 1989

Citation(s):

Bak AAA; Grobbee DE. The effect on serum cholesterol levels of coffee brewed by filtering or boiling. N Engl J Med 1989 Nov 23 321 1432-1437.

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