By Suzana Will Coffee Raise Your Cholesterol Levels?
One thing to consider if you are a Java addict is the impact that coffee may or may not have on your health. The great news to know for any coffee lover out there is that recent studies have shown that coffee provides greater health benefits than ever before. However, there are still many people today wondering if regular coffee drinking really impacts their levels of cholesterol. The majority of American Java drinkers currently rely upon filtered drip brewed coffee, which has less impact on cholesterol than coffee that is unfiltered. It seems that regular filtered Java removes much of the components within coffee that can affect cholesterol levels.
When it comes down to it, the coffee’s impact on cholesterol needs to be assessed with the use of unfiltered coffee, which is most often French Press coffee. If you use a French Press, percolator, or even espresso brewing method, then your coffee constitutes as unfiltered. This idea was researched within several studies, and the basic consensus was that coffee does not in any way contribute to heart disease. However, in unfiltered Java there are compounds called cafestol, which can potentially raise cholesterol in the body. The studies were done on unfiltered coffee, including coffee oils. For the coffee to have a negative impact on your cholesterol levels, you would have to consume up to 60 mg of cafestol, which could be found in 10 cups of unfiltered coffee. This would cause cholesterol to be raised by 20%, only affecting LDL levels of cholesterol.
The bottom line is that the affect of unfiltered Java on your health is only with an excessively large amount that would normally not be consumed on a daily basis. In fact, health professionals recommend to drink 2 to 3 cups of coffee per day for the maximum health benefits, including reducing the risk for Alzheimer’s, stroke, cirrhosis of the liver, colon cancer, and Parkinson’s disease. As an example, one of the main reasons that coffee reduces the risk for Alzheimer’s is because it strengthens the blood-brain barrier, which often begins to deteriorate as an individual develops Alzheimer’s later in life. Regular Java drinking protects this neurological barrier and prevents the onset of Alzheimer’s.
The point of the matter is that if you follow these guidelines and drink 2 to 3 cups of Java per day for your health, then there is absolutely no issue with how the Java is prepared. In fact, many coffee drinkers prefer the use of the French Press brewing method because it leaves the essential oils within the coffee brew to provide a better taste and flavor. The essential oils are what are removed from the coffee when it is brewed with a filter, significantly impacting the taste. Brewing coffee through a filter does remove cafestol compounds, which would only negatively affect the health if you were drinking 10 cups of French Press coffee on a daily basis. If that is the case, then you probably have more to worry about because extreme and excessive coffee drinking can cause insomnia, anxiety, and jitteriness.