<p>Coffee beans contain a chemical called <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cafestol" rel="nofollow">cafestol</a>, which tends to increase blood cholesterol levels, especially LDL ("bad") cholesterol.</p>

<p>Brewing with a paper filter seems to reduce the levels of these cholesterol-raising chemicals in brewed coffee by filtering out these chemicals (e.g., cafestol, kahweol). Levels of cafestol in coffee are higher in non-paper-filtered brewing methods, such as French press and others.</p>

<p>Here's <a href="http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/coffee/" rel="nofollow">one article</a> that discusses this, and <a href="http://www.nbcnews.com/id/6242467/ns/health-heart_health/t/coffee-cholesterol" rel="nofollow">another pointed out by @apaul34208</a> in comments.</p>

<p><strong>EDIT:</strong> Links to actual studies. Here are two studies that discuss this further: <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2029499" rel="nofollow">one from van Dusseldorp, et al., 1991</a> that talks about "a factor" (i.e., an as-yet-unidentified compound) that has a cholesterol-raising impact. A later paper (Urgent, Katan 1997) <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9240930" rel="nofollow">identifies these factors as "diterpene lipids cafestol and kahweol"</a>. Specifically, the abstract from the latter article states that <em>"[paper] filtered coffee does not affect cholesterol."</em></p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-02-10T14:11:27.670Z
I just read that article and a couple of others and was typing something out, but you beat me to the post. +1
apaul
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-02-10T14:45:30.403Z
@apaul34208 Have we already reached the [FGITW](http://meta.stackexchange.com/q/9731/262760) problem on [coffee.se] already?? ;-) Feel free to add more links if you've got a better reference. The cafestol Wikipedia page refers to a study that seems to discuss levels in paper-filtered coffee and gender differences, but it's a dead-link and I didn't immediately find a proper replacement reference. Ultimately, I believe the compound has the effect, but I have no idea about the scientific basis for any of the rest. Coffee+Science->Fun
hoc_age
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-02-10T14:53:56.590Z
9 hours would be a pretty slow gun fight :) The Harvard article was the best one I found, [NBC had a decent one](http://www.nbcnews.com/id/6242467/ns/health-heart_health/t/coffee-cholesterol/#.VNoasS59Zzs) as well.
apaul
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-02-10T19:29:20.737Z
@apaul34208 Good article and references; hadn't seen that one. As an aside, you may wish to trim the tracking part of a URL (the trailing `#.VNoas...`) when you copy/paste links, when you post. Probably harmless, but if the link still works without it, all the better.
hoc_age
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-02-10T20:41:30.207Z
Can you address whether the increase in LDL cholesterol levels is necessarily detrimental or even significant?
speedfranklin
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-02-10T21:28:47.393Z
@speedfranklin - It sounds like you're asking if LDL increase is detrimental; I'm a coffee enthusiast, not a doctor... (sorry; bad ST:TOS reference) :). Significance falls in two categories: the [aforementioned Wikipedia article](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cafestol) states that there is evidence for (1- statistically speaking) significant LDL increase with consumption of "boiled coffee" but negligible with filter coffee. References are listed on that page. The other (NBC) article suggests deciding on your own whether this is (2- practically speaking) significant *for you*.
hoc_age
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-02-10T21:33:06.130Z
@speedfranklin - You might also ask about LDL physiology at [biology.se], or support [this health site proposal](http://area51.stackexchange.com/proposals/66048/health) at [area51.se]. You'll need to speak to someone medically qualified to address health questions.
hoc_age
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-03-31T01:09:19.783Z
@hoc_age I meant the first kind of significant, and: "there is evidence of statistically significant LDL increase with consumption of 'boiled coffee'" is exactly what I was looking for, thanks. :)
speedfranklin
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-02-10T14:09:27.740Z
2015-03-02T16:29:00.470Z
2015-03-02T16:29:00.470Z
hoc_age
<p>I've heard that coffee can raise your cholesterol. If that's true, is it a bad thing? Is regular or acute exposure to coffee dangerous in this way?</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-02-10T14:10:21.430Z
Do have a citation for this? I included one in [my answer below](http://coffee.stackexchange.com/a/414/262), but it will always help to share research to get on-point answers. There's a [discussion on meta.coffee](http://meta.coffee.stackexchange.com/questions/12/should-health-related-questions-be-off-topic) about whether we discuss health, to the extent that this is health.
hoc_age
<health><caffeine>
Does caffeine raise cholesterol (good or bad)?
speedfranklin
# Does caffeine raise cholesterol (good or bad)?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2015-02-10)

I've heard that coffee can raise your cholesterol. If that's true, is it a bad thing? Is regular or acute exposure to coffee dangerous in this way?

**Tags:** health, caffeine

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: Do have a citation for this? I included one in [my answer below](http://coffee.stackexchange.com/a/414/262), but it will always help to share research to get on-point answers. There's a [discussion on meta.coffee](http://meta.coffee.stackexchange.com/questions/12/should-health-related-questions-be-off-topic) about whether we discuss health, to the extent that this is health.  

---

## 1 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2015-02-10. Score: 7

Coffee beans contain a chemical called [cafestol](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cafestol), which tends to increase blood cholesterol levels, especially LDL ("bad") cholesterol.

Brewing with a paper filter seems to reduce the levels of these cholesterol-raising chemicals in brewed coffee by filtering out these chemicals (e.g., cafestol, kahweol). Levels of cafestol in coffee are higher in non-paper-filtered brewing methods, such as French press and others.

Here's [one article](http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/coffee/) that discusses this, and [another pointed out by @username_234208](http://www.nbcnews.com/id/6242467/ns/health-heart_health/t/coffee-cholesterol) in comments.

**EDIT:** Links to actual studies. Here are two studies that discuss this further: [one from van Dusseldorp, et al., 1991](http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2029499) that talks about "a factor" (i.e., an as-yet-unidentified compound) that has a cholesterol-raising impact. A later paper (Urgent, Katan 1997) [identifies these factors as "diterpene lipids cafestol and kahweol"](http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9240930). Specifically, the abstract from the latter article states that *"[paper] filtered coffee does not affect cholesterol."*

> **Comments:**
> **username_2**: I just read that article and a couple of others and was typing something out, but you beat me to the post. +1  
> **username_1**: @username_234208 Have we already reached the [FGITW](http://meta.stackexchange.com/q/9731/262760) problem on [coffee.se] already?? ;-) Feel free to add more links if you've got a better reference. The cafestol Wikipedia page refers to a study that seems to discuss levels in paper-filtered coffee and gender differences, but it's a dead-link and I didn't immediately find a proper replacement reference. Ultimately, I believe the compound has the effect, but I have no idea about the scientific basis for any of the rest. Coffee+Science->Fun  
> **username_2**: 9 hours would be a pretty slow gun fight :) The Harvard article was the best one I found, [NBC had a decent one](http://www.nbcnews.com/id/6242467/ns/health-heart_health/t/coffee-cholesterol/#.VNoasS59Zzs) as well.  
> **username_1**: @username_234208 Good article and references; hadn't seen that one. As an aside, you may wish to trim the tracking part of a URL (the trailing `#.VNoas...`) when you copy/paste links, when you post. Probably harmless, but if the link still works without it, all the better.  
> **username_0**: Can you address whether the increase in LDL cholesterol levels is necessarily detrimental or even significant?  
> **username_1**: @username_0 - It sounds like you're asking if LDL increase is detrimental; I'm a coffee enthusiast, not a doctor... (sorry; bad ST:TOS reference) :). Significance falls in two categories: the [aforementioned Wikipedia article](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cafestol) states that there is evidence for (1- statistically speaking) significant LDL increase with consumption of "boiled coffee" but negligible with filter coffee. References are listed on that page. The other (NBC) article suggests deciding on your own whether this is (2- practically speaking) significant *for you*.  
> **username_1**: @username_0 - You might also ask about LDL physiology at [biology.se], or support [this health site proposal](http://area51.stackexchange.com/proposals/66048/health) at [area51.se]. You'll need to speak to someone medically qualified to address health questions.  
> **username_0**: @username_1 I meant the first kind of significant, and: "there is evidence of statistically significant LDL increase with consumption of 'boiled coffee'" is exactly what I was looking for, thanks. :)  

---

