Cholesterol is synthesized in the human body, but at elevated levels it can stimulate the occurrence of strokes and heart attacks by clogging blood vessels. Many people live with high blood cholesterol and don't even know it. But those who know about this problem are wondering: is it possible to drink coffee with high cholesterol? Will this negatively affect blood vessels? After all, cholesterol already causes the blood vessels to be slightly clogged, but caffeine will further narrow them? We answer: it is not necessary to give up your favorite drink, but you need to know how to use it correctly.
The effect of coffee on high cholesterol.
Coffee itself does not contain cholesterol. But it contains a special organic compound, the cafestol molecule, which is found in natural fatty acids. Cafestol indirectly affects the activity of cholesterol production. It irritates the epithelium of the small intestine, changes the activity of liver cells and the synthesis of fatty acids. Because of this, the body begins to produce more cholesterol, and its content in the blood increases.
Cafestol is not as harmful as it might seem. It reduces the ability of cells to become cancerous and helps treat Parkinson's disease.
As a result of studies on volunteers with high cholesterol levels who agreed to drink 5 cups of Turkish coffee daily, it was found that in just a month, blood cholesterol levels increased by 8% in women and by 10% in men. With each cup, 5-6 mg of cafestol entered the body.
Cafestol is found only in Turkish-boiled drink.
Effect on the body
The beneficial properties of coffee have been known for a long time. In addition to the invigorating effect, systematic consumption of the drink has the following effects:
- improves concentration, performance, memory, improves mood;
- increases sensitivity to insulin, reduces the risk of diabetes;
- reduces the likelihood of developing liver cirrhosis and the frequency of constipation;
- reduces the risk of breast cancer;
- reduces the risk of Alzheimer's disease.
Coffee does not change the lipid spectrum of the blood and does not harm the heart or blood vessels. May increase blood pressure in people who drink it rarely. Therefore, if you have problems with blood pressure or arterial hypertension, use it carefully.
Systematic consumption of large amounts of caffeine forms an addiction similar to alcohol. An overdose negatively affects the functioning of the nervous system, resulting in fatigue and insomnia.
Is it possible to drink natural coffee if you have high cholesterol?
Cafestol is formed only if the ground grains are poured with boiling water or the drink is brewed in a Turk.
It comes from the natural oils contained in coffee beans that are released during roasting. Arabica contains more of it than Robusta, although the latter contains more caffeine. The longer the preparation process, the more caffeine passes into the finished drink. The amount of cafestol does not depend on the caffeine present, but only on the preparation of the drink.
Scandinavian coffee, which is boiled, contains the most cafestol. And in espresso, which is poured with boiling water. If you leave the coffee in the Turk until it boils, there will be more cafestol. In Turkish coffee, which is simmered on sand and only brought to a boil, but not allowed to boil, there is less cafestol.
However, you don’t have to be afraid of this organic compound, and it won’t harm you in any way if you use the simplest filtration method. Cafestol can be easily removed from the drink if you use paper filters - they are usually sold for coffee machines, but you can make one yourself, for example, from a folded napkin or kitchen towel. The molecules remain on the paper, and the coffee turns out to be harmless in terms of increasing cholesterol. Filter coffee machines also “retain” cafestol so that it does not cause an increase in cholesterol levels.
You can drink natural coffee if you have high cholesterol if you use filters.
Choosing a Safe Drink
Atherosclerosis and diagnosed high cholesterol levels in the blood force you to reconsider your diet. This recommendation also applies to drinks consumed.
This is not to say that coffee is strictly contraindicated for high cholesterol. You just need to choose the appropriate drink option or replace it with something alternative.
First, let's look at several coffee options available to any of you:
- black natural;
- green;
- soluble;
- cafein free.
It's all coffee, just in different forms. It is also interesting that each of them has a different effect on cholesterol levels.
Black
Natural ground coffee can be considered the most popular among coffee lovers. Some people buy it ready-made, others buy grains and grind them themselves. If the product is of high quality, nothing will change from its appearance. So feel free to take beans or already ground coffee beans that have undergone a thorough roasting procedure.
Natural ground coffee
Natural brewed coffee does not contain pure cholesterol. It is not able to greatly influence the increase in cholesterol levels if you adhere to the norms of drink consumption during the day.
By drinking 1 - 2 cups a day, you will not get any harm or substances dangerous to the body. Therefore, people with atherosclerosis should not be afraid to drink it in adequate quantities.
But don’t forget about the presence of cafestol. This substance is formed only when the product is brewed, that is, it undergoes a boiling procedure for some time. The longer you keep the coffee on the fire, the more cafestol is produced. It can cause problems because excessive amounts of the substance stimulate the liver to produce its own cholesterol. We don’t need any extra, so try to prepare coffee according to the rules specified by the manufacturer and do not overcook it on the stove.
We will separately tell you how you can get rid of cafestol so that it does not affect your blood cholesterol levels.
Green
It is used much less frequently, and many have never seen anything like it.
But in practice, green coffee has the unique properties of a strong antioxidant that protects against malignant neoplasms and cardiovascular diseases. Consuming the green version of this drink has a positive effect on the entire body.
These are not a special type of coffee beans, but simply beans that have not undergone the roasting procedure. These are raw dried beans. An interesting fact is that the green type of product does not have a characteristic coffee aroma, and they differ significantly from roasted beans in chemical composition.
The main component here is chlorogenic acid. It is not present in black grains, since it is destroyed due to exposure to high temperature. But caffeine remains at the same level, regardless of roasting.
Green coffee
There are several key benefits of consuming green grains:
- the drink tones and invigorates;
- has a laxative and cleansing effect, which is extremely important for the human body;
- affects carbohydrate metabolism;
- does not contain cafestol, therefore it has no effect on cholesterol at all;
- Chlorogenic acid has the opposite effect, that is, it normalizes the liver’s production of its own cholesterol.
Therefore, in terms of fighting atherosclerosis, a green drink is considered completely safe and harmless. On the contrary, it helps fight excess cholesterol.
But its main disadvantage is that it is difficult to call such a product real coffee. It has no characteristic taste or smell.
Soluble
Many call it similar to natural ground or grain coffee, since it is inferior in taste and aroma.
There is some truth in this. True coffee lovers really easily distinguish an instant product from a natural ground one. But practice shows that most people buy the first option. Its main advantage is the speed of preparation. There is no need to stand at the stove and wait for the drink to brew, or spend a long time operating the coffee machine. I poured a couple of spoons into a cup, poured boiling water over it, and it was done.
Yes, high-quality raw materials from 100% natural grains are not always used for instant products. Plus, during processing, some properties are lost, and they are compensated for by synthetic components.
The taste and aroma of coffee can be debated endlessly. Some people like the instant version, others use exclusively grains. Everyone makes their own choice.
Instant coffee
But from a cholesterol standpoint, instant coffee is preferable. This is due to the fact that it does not contain cafestol. Therefore, in case of atherosclerosis or high cholesterol in the blood, drinking instant coffee drinks will not bring any harm.
Cafein free
There is such a strong opinion that a caffeine-free product is much healthier than regular coffee, so to maintain your health you need to drink it.
To draw the right conclusions, let’s tell you a little about the features of this product.
At the beginning of the last century, the world's first caffeine-free coffee was created. Organic components were chemically extracted from the beans. Interestingly, this was not some kind of multi-year research, but turned out to be a purely random development.
People who have been diagnosed with arterial hypertension and have problems with the cardiovascular system are allowed to drink it. This is due to the fact that it has almost no effect on blood vessels and does not contribute to the production of adrenaline. Thanks to him, we feel cheerful.
But also the caffeine-free product has lost its basic biochemical properties. Therefore, in reality, we did not get coffee, but a flavored drink. It is in no way capable of invigorating and increasing tone. It’s as if flavoring has been added to ordinary water.
Getting rid of caffeine has no effect on increasing its benefits for atherosclerosis. After all, caffeine does not take any part in the processes of stimulating the production of its own cholesterol by the human body.
Instant coffee for high cholesterol
Despite the fact that instant coffee is considered more harmful to the human body than natural coffee, it contains neither cholesterol nor cafestol. The natural oils are simply removed during the making of the powder or granules, and instant coffee is not brewed. Therefore, if you are concerned about your cholesterol levels, it is better to prefer instant coffee from this point of view. But remember that it contains preservatives, dyes, stabilizers and many other chemical components. The share of natural coffee in instant coffee is no more than 15-25%. Therefore, the benefits to the body are questionable. But there is definitely no cafestol there.
How does coffee affect blood cholesterol?
There is almost no cholesterol in coffee, since the content of vegetable fats is insignificant. Most of it settles on the surface of the cup and does not enter the body. The calorie content of 100 ml of the finished sugar-free drink is 1-9 kcal. The negative effect is due to the presence of cafestol. It disrupts metabolism. As a result, the production of both harmful and good cholesterol is accelerated.
Depending on the type of drink and preparation technique, its effect may vary. For example, it is not recommended to consume instant coffee if you have excessively high cholesterol, because it contains flavorings, preservatives, stabilizers, taste enhancers, etc. This negatively affects the state of the central nervous system, gastrointestinal tract receptors and other organs and systems. However, the level of cafestol in the instant product is lower, so it is safer than ground black grains.
There is no cholesterol in coffee
To understand why coffee increases cholesterol, you need to familiarize yourself with its composition. The product contains substances such as:
- Caffeine. It is a stimulant of the nervous system and has an stimulating effect. When used in moderation, it improves mood and helps get rid of drowsiness; with regular overdoses, it can cause exhaustion and disorders of the central nervous system.
- Water. During frying, the liquid content becomes low (3%), so it can be neglected.
- Sahara. During heat treatment they turn into caramel, which gives the grains a brown color. The level of sugar concentration is insignificant.
- Cellulose. When fried, it is converted into alcohols, amino acids and acids.
- Fats. They break down into acids, so they do not directly increase cholesterol levels.
- Chlorogenic acid. Provides a characteristic aroma and imparts a bitter taste.
- Trigonnelin. After heat treatment, most of it is converted into vitamin PP.
It is difficult to give a definite answer to the question of how much cholesterol coffee contains. Depending on the quality and intensity of processing, some of the fats may be preserved in their original form. However, their concentration can be neglected, since it is not high enough to directly change cholesterol levels.
Decaffeinated coffee
In principle, it is possible, since caffeine does not participate in the process of cholesterol synthesis. It is cafestol that matters, and natural decaffeinated coffee contains it, like other natural oils. That is, if you prefer ground coffee without caffeine, the principles of safe consumption with high cholesterol are the same as for regular natural coffee - the finished drink must be filtered through a filter. If you drink decaffeinated instant coffee, if you have high cholesterol, it will not increase its blood level.
What's included
Coffee is a drink made from roasted, ground coffee beans. Contains more than 2000 components:
- Caffeine is a natural alkaloid. Improves cardiac activity and brain function. This explains its tonic effect. Coffee enhances the functioning of the nervous system and indirectly affects the functioning of the liver and metabolism.
- Tannins are phenolic compounds with tanning and anti-inflammatory properties. They add a characteristic bitterness to the drink.
- Organic acids. Released during roasting of beans. They improve the functioning of the digestive tract and accelerate the breakdown of fat from food.
- Vitamins: A, B3, D, E, P. Improve metabolism, cholesterol synthesis, strengthen capillaries, maintain the tone of blood vessels.
- Coffee ash. The main element of ash is potassium. Supports the functioning of the cardiovascular system, normalizes blood pressure and heart rate. Ash contains small amounts of magnesium, calcium, sodium, manganese.
- Chlorogenic acid improves metabolism and reduces the risk of developing diabetes.
- Cafeol is an oil that gives a specific coffee aroma and taste. Strengthens the effect of other components.
Conclusions:
- It is not prohibited to drink coffee if you have high blood cholesterol levels.
- It is not caffeine that causes an increase in cholesterol, but the substance cafestol, which is found in the natural fatty acids of coffee beans.
- Regular natural coffee needs to be filtered through a filter. Soluble and green can be consumed as they do not contain cafestol.
- Decaffeinated coffee contains cafestol if it is ground, and not if it is instant.
- The longer natural coffee is prepared, the more cafestol it contains.
Composition and beneficial properties
Over 19 thousand studies have already been conducted regarding the beneficial and harmful properties of coffee. Whether cholesterol levels can increase after drinking a cup, the composition of coffee beans will help you understand. And they contain the following substances:
- trigonelline;
- vitamin A, D, B3, E;
- proteins;
- caffeine;
- amino acids;
- chlorogenic acid;
- mineral salts;
- cellulose;
- water;
- cafestol;
- coffee oil.
In the morning, the drink gives a person vigor.
Thanks to this structure, coffee acts on the human body in the following way:
- invigorates and improves mood;
- resists the aging process;
- prevents the development of shaking paralysis and diabetes mellitus in women;
- weakens and increases urination;
- acts as an effective protection against liver cirrhosis;
- alleviates the condition of acute asthma;
- increases mental activity;
- stops the formation of stones in the kidneys, liver and bile ducts.
Having familiarized yourself with the composition, it is clear that there is no cholesterol in coffee, and, therefore, such a drink is not harmful to health. However, its structure contains cafestol, which is produced from coffee oils during brewing. It is because of this element that the concentration of a fat-like substance in the plasma can increase and lead to its accumulation on the walls of the arteries. To get rid of cafestol, you can replace coffee with similar drinks, such as chicory or green tea, and you can also drink filtered brewed coffee.
Natural coffee is a healthy product, the use of which requires a personal approach, so you should not make your own conclusions regarding the consumption of coffee beans; it is better to leave the decision to a specialized physician.
