Is Black Coffee Good For Cholesterol? Find Out Here

For millions of people, a morning ritual involves nothing more than a cup of black coffee, which provides a jolt of energy, alertness, and heat to kick-start the day. However, as it is celebrated for its antioxidant potential and metabolism boost, questions tend to linger over how it affects levels of cholesterol. Does your consumption of black coffee support or harm your heart health? 

The editorial team of Onlymyhealth reached out to Dr Vikram Vora, Medical Director and Chief Health Officer (Indian Subcontinent), International SOS, to dissect what science has to say. Read ahead to know what he shared with us.

Link Between Coffee and Cholesterol

Cholesterol is a type of fat in your blood used to make hormones and maintain cell function. When low-density lipoprotein, or bad cholesterol, elevates, it raises the risk of plaque formation and heart disease.

Coffee itself isn't a source of cholesterol, but some of the compounds in it,  most notably cafestol and kahweol, do affect cholesterol. They are natural diterpenes in coffee oil. Studies indicate that they can increase LDL cholesterol by impacting the body's capacity to balance cholesterol metabolism.

Dr Vora noted that the good news is that the effect of these compounds relies to a great extent on how the coffee is brewed.

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Brew Matters: Filtered vs. Unfiltered Coffee

The way coffee is brewed is important in the case of coffee and cholesterol.

• Filtered coffee (paper filter, drip coffee): Paper filters catch most of the kahweol and cafestol, which greatly limits their cholesterol-raising activity. Normal filtered black coffee, hence, has little influence on cholesterol levels.
• Unfiltered coffee (French press, Turkish coffee, espresso): These processes permit the oily constituents to pass through, which may cause an increase in LDL cholesterol when taken in excess amounts.

A study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition discovered that consuming five cups of unfiltered coffee each day for a few weeks may raise the level of total cholesterol. But moderate use of filtered black coffee had no such impact.

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Health Benefits of Black Coffee

Dr Vora shared that black coffee also has several health benefits when taken responsibly. These include:

• Full of antioxidants: Coffee is a major source of antioxidants such as chlorogenic acid, which decreases inflammation and oxidative stress, both risk factors for heart disease.
• May aid in metabolism: Caffeine enhances metabolic rate and can help with fat oxidation.
• May guard the liver: Research indicates that moderate coffee consumption has been shown to lower the incidence of liver diseases such as fatty liver and cirrhosis.
• Enhances mental concentration: Caffeine increases alertness, cognitive function, and control over mood.

But moderation is crucial. Excessive consumption of caffeine can raise heart rate, blood pressure, and anxiety levels, negating its benefits.

How Much Is Safe to Drink?

Dr Vora suggested having no more than 400 mg of coffee per day, which translates to approximately three to four cups of brewed black coffee. “If you have elevated cholesterol or are susceptible to cardiovascular disease, drink filtered coffee rather than espresso or unfiltered coffee,” said Dr Vora.

“Also, do not add cream, sugar, or flavoured syrups, as they can contribute to calorie and saturated fat consumption, in effect, sabotaging cholesterol control,” he added.

Bottomline

Black coffee, when filtered and consumed in moderation, is not likely to increase cholesterol levels and can even be beneficial to heart health because of its antioxidant properties. Nonetheless, unfiltered versions might be able to raise LDL cholesterol if consumed in excess.