Is it possible to drink coffee if you have high cholesterol?

Advantages and disadvantages of coffee

Coffee is an exquisite and unique gift from nature itself. Coffee beans saturate the human body with vitamins, protein structures, macro and microelements. The most important beneficial properties of the drink can be noted:

1. Reduces the amount of glucose in the blood, preventing the development of diabetes.
2. Prevents stone formation in the kidneys and gall bladder.
3. Tones the nervous system, helps with sleep disorders.
4. Reduces the risk of cancer.
5. Improves blood circulation.
6. Eliminates muscle pain after workouts.
7. Prevents the development of liver cirrhosis.
8. Accelerates metabolic processes.
9. Burns fat, making it easier to lose excess weight.
10. Helps get rid of dizziness and migraines.

On the other hand, the coffee drink also has disadvantages:

• Causes an increase in cholesterol in the blood.
• Promotes the development of arthrosis.
• Highly addictive. If you suddenly stop drinking, you feel constantly tired and sleepy.
• Lashes out calcium.
• Provokes attacks of heartburn.
• Disturbs the heart rate. If you have existing pathologies of the heart or blood vessels, the influence of caffeine can cause great harm to health, so before drinking coffee you should consult your doctor.

Why does coffee increase cholesterol?

Cafestol irritates intestinal receptors, which causes erroneous signals to appear. They convey information about low sterol content. The liver receives false signals. Their result is increased production of cholesterol. Its level increases slowly, but steadily and steadily. Drinking 5-6 cups of coffee per day raises cholesterol levels by 6-8%, and after 6-12 months it can rise to 12-18%.

The danger increases when drinking coffee with cream and milk. In this case, the level of harmful substances decreases, but the cholesterol content increases due to animal fats. As a result, the body produces its own high cholesterol from coffee and also receives it from the outside.

Another dangerous additive to coffee is sugar . There is no cholesterol in it, but this substance promotes accelerated weight gain. When body weight increases, the balance shifts and cholesterol synthesis increases.

The effect of coffee on blood cholesterol

Coffee contains a diterpene molecule called cafestol. When the beans are brewed, a chemical compound is released from the coffee oils. The longer the coffee is boiled, the higher the concentration of cafestol in the drink. The largest amount of the component is present in espresso and coffee prepared in Scandinavian style, since the drink has to be brewed several times. These types of natural coffee are prohibited if there is increased cholesterol in the bloodstream.

Cholesterol is a lipophilic alcohol, 20% of which is taken into the body with food, 80% is synthesized by the liver. Therefore, when cafestol penetrates the small intestine and transmits false information to the receptors about low cholesterol, the liver begins to produce its own cholesterol. As a result, the amount of cholesterol in the bloodstream increases unnecessarily. Fat-like elements descend onto the walls of hematopoietic vessels, complicating their passage and disrupting the blood supply to vital organs.

Important! Does coffee diluted with milk lower cholesterol? It turns out not, since dairy products are also a source of fatty acids.

Does coffee increase cholesterol?

The natural product contains neither lipophilic alcohol nor fatty acids, but it does contain cafestol, due to which coffee can increase blood cholesterol levels. For healthy people, such changes do not pose any particular danger. For patients suffering from atherosclerosis or lipid metabolism disorders, the coffee drink is contraindicated, as it can lead to complications of the existing pathology.

What's in coffee?

Caffeine in coffee helps with body intoxication

According to recent research, coffee beans contain more than 2 thousand components. Their composition and quantity depend on the plant variety, place and conditions of its growth, harvest time, storage duration, roasting intensity and other factors.

The composition of natural coffee includes the following substances:

• organic acids: malic, citric, acetic, caffeic, oxalic, chlorogenic. Thanks to the latter, the drink has a pleasant astringent taste;
• essential oils, the most important of which is caféol - the carrier of the characteristic coffee aroma;
• caffeine is an alkaloid that gives the drink tonic properties and increases mental and physical performance;
• trigonelline is another alkaloid involved in the formation of the taste and smell of the drink;
• tannin, to which coffee owes its unique bitterness;
• vitamins of group B, as well as A, D, P and E;
• minerals: potassium, magnesium, calcium, iron, zinc, copper.

150 ml of coffee provides a third of the daily requirement for vitamin P, which is responsible for the elasticity of the walls of blood vessels and prevents blood stagnation and the formation of blood clots.

Coffee in its pure form without sugar, milk or other additives has no nutritional value. Its calorie content is only 9 kcal per 100 g of drink. It contains:

• proteins – 0.3 g;
• fat – 0.7 g;
• carbohydrates – 0.1 g.

Despite its plant origin, coffee contains essential amino acids that are present only in meat and fish products. They take part in the restorative functions of all internal organs and have a particularly beneficial effect on the development of the immune system.

Cholesterol and cafestol

The share of cafestol in coffee beans is only 0.2-0.5%, but the component’s effect on cholesterol is quite high. New research has shown that if you drink 5 cups of coffee for one week, the amount of cholesterol in your blood can increase by 6 to 8%. The use of a caffeine-containing product throughout the year increases the level of lipophilic alcohol by 12-18%.

For a healthy person, such changes will be insignificant. But in patients with atherosclerosis, this often causes concern, since such processes can provoke an increase in cholesterol in the bloodstream.

How grains affect cholesterol levels

If you drink coffee every day and are wondering about the effect of beans on cholesterol levels, you need to know about their characteristics. It is necessary to immediately make a reservation that we will have to talk only about a pure natural product, without any additives.

After all, if a person drinks coffee with milk, he must take into account that this product already contains cholesterol, especially if the milk has a high percentage of fat content. Coffee beans contain an element called cafestol, which can raise cholesterol levels in the blood when consumed regularly in large quantities.

Scientists conducted new studies, during which they were able to prove the direct effect of cafestol on the condition of capillaries and cholesterol levels in the blood. The substance and cholesterol are not directly related, but cafestol disrupts the absorption mechanism of its own cholesterol in the intestinal tissues, negatively affecting its walls.

What types of coffee are rich in “harmful” cafestol?

Not every type of coffee increases blood cholesterol, since the content of the cafestol element in them is different. What type of drink should you avoid if you have problems with increased cholesterol:

• in Scandinavian - in another way it is called “a real man’s drink.” Its peculiarity in preparation is that the ground grains are not boiled, but only wait for the moment of boiling, and garlic is used;
• espresso – if you have high cholesterol, it is better not to drink it, since this coffee contains a lot of cafestol;
• drink prepared using a coffee pot or French press - the method of preparation is no less important.

Today, there are many types of coffee, and it depends on which one a person drinks whether cholesterol levels in the blood remain normal or increase. It is not harmful for completely healthy coffee lovers to drink a hot drink, even of the listed types, if we are not talking about daily large doses.

Instant coffee

Herbs for high cholesterol

Recent studies conducted to determine the benefits and harms of coffee drinks for people with high cholesterol have found that instant coffee is the safest for this group of patients.

Cafestol is a substance that becomes more abundant in a drink during prolonged cooking. But instant coffee does not need to be prepared for a long time. Many people do not like instant drinks, considering them unnatural.

However, during the preparation process, the beans are also processed - roasted, ground, after which the instant coffee is simply dried with a stream of hot air, and the ground coffee is boiled. The result in both cases is a natural finished product.

If earlier manufacturers added dichloroethane to instant coffee (during the manufacturing process), now sanitary standards do not allow the use of this additive. Therefore, lovers of instant drinks can rest assured that the product is completely natural, although it has a less pronounced aroma than ground ones.

However, doctors say that instant coffee can be drunk without fear of increasing cholesterol levels in the blood, since it does not need to be subjected to long heat treatment to release cafestol.

Coffee for high cholesterol

By straining, you can remove cafestol.
If you have high cholesterol, drinking coffee is not recommended because of the cafestol it contains. However, there are two ways in which you can soften the effect of your favorite drink:

1. Strain the brewed coffee through a paper filter. You can use napkins, a clean towel, or a disposable paper filter from a hypermarket. As a result, insoluble substances, including cafestol, remain on the surface. If you have a coffee maker, you need to see if it has a filter. If not, you can use the above method.
2. Cafestol is released during the cooking of coffee beans, so this substance is not present in the instant drink. Thanks to this, we can conclude that if you have high cholesterol, you can drink instant coffee without unnecessary fears.

Many people wonder whether it is possible to drink coffee before donating blood for cholesterol. According to doctors, consuming any food, including coffee, within 6 hours before the test is taken is contraindicated. You are allowed to drink no more than one glass of water.

Conclusions:

1. It is not prohibited to drink coffee if you have high blood cholesterol levels.
2. 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.
3. Regular natural coffee needs to be filtered through a filter. Soluble and green can be consumed as they do not contain cafestol.
4. Decaffeinated coffee contains cafestol if it is ground, and not if it is instant.
5. The longer natural coffee is prepared, the more cafestol it contains.

Coffee for cardiac ischemia

Cholesterol levels have a tremendous impact on the progression of cardiac ischemia. Exacerbation of pathology occurs 4 times more often if the amount of cholesterol in the blood is increased. If you notice deviations in time and take the necessary measures, you can get rid of the symptoms of the disease completely. First of all, you should reduce the amount of fat in the blood.

If you prepare coffee by boiling coffee beans, the statistical results will be disappointing. Drink drinkers have 10% more cholesterol than people who avoid drinking it. Experts have found that an increase in cholesterol in the bloodstream by 1% increases the likelihood of developing pathology by 2%; regular consumption of the drink increases the risk of disease by 20%.

Meanwhile, a drink prepared by passing water or steam through filters does not cause an increase in cholesterol in the bloodstream.

Coffee and high cholesterol

If the cause of high cholesterol is liver dysfunction, then even instant coffee is potentially dangerous for the patient. If you have high cholesterol, you can drink insoluble coffee in moderation by passing the drink through a paper filter. The paper filter will retain cafestol along with the oils in which it is concentrated when brewing coffee. Nowadays there are even coffee machines with such filters.

But even instant coffee with high cholesterol is not recommended to be consumed in large quantities. Brewed coffee with cholesterol concentrations above 6.95 mmol/l is contraindicated. However, there are varieties of brewed coffee that are free from cafestol, so here we should talk about the correct selection of drinks.

Coffee cannot cause the formation of cholesterol plaques in blood vessels and, on the contrary, by reducing inflammatory processes in blood vessels, it suppresses the formation of new lesions in them and, as a result, the appearance of fresh atherosclerotic plaques. However, excessive coffee consumption can lead to a sustained increase in blood pressure, which, in turn, provokes stretching and damage to blood vessels, which intensifies the formation of cholesterol plaques.

How does coffee affect cholesterol?

With a normal dosage of the drink - no more than 1 - 2 cups per day - coffee should not have any noticeable effect on cholesterol levels. The effect of coffee on blood vessels is rather positive in this situation. Black coffee has less effect on cholesterol than milk coffee.

Turkish, Scandinavian, expresso and coffee brewed in a coffee machine without subsequent filtration from cafestol can negatively affect the TC level, increasing it from 3 - 5 to 6 - 8% with large (up to 5 cups per day) and daily consumption. Modern coffee makers, however, allow you to filter the drink.

Other drinks, such as sweet tea, have an even lesser effect on cholesterol in blood vessels than coffee.

Diet and treatment of high cholesterol and coffee

Drinking coffee during a diet for high cholesterol or in the treatment of hypercholesterolemia is generally allowed, however, if there are disturbances in the intestinal tract, digestive system and liver, including those leading to disruption of cholesterol metabolism, it may be necessary to exclude coffee and coffee drinks from the diet menu. to reduce cholesterol.

Choosing a Safe Drink

When drinking natural coffee, cholesterol in a person’s blood increases, but this does not mean that you have to give up the drink. You can replace it with alternatives:

1. Black coffee with filters. When coffee is brewed, cafestol is released during boiling, which provokes the production of cholesterol. To minimize the amount of the component, you should pass the drink through filters, then insoluble substances will remain outside.
2. Instant. Despite the fact that the freeze-dried caffeine-containing product is more toxic than the natural product, it does not contain cafestol. Instant coffee does not go through the brewing stage, and natural oils are extracted from its composition.
3. Cocoa is a unique drink that helps minimize the amount of cholesterol in the body and prevent its deposition on the walls of blood vessels.
4. Green coffee. Coffee oils open up during the roasting process; green beans do not require such a stage, so cafestol is not released. The main element of this drink is chlorogenic acid, which stabilizes the balance of cholesterol in the bloodstream.

What kind of coffee you can drink if you have high cholesterol depends on personal taste preferences and the method of preparing the drink.

Black

Coffee beans do not contain pure cholesterol and there seems to be no reason to worry. But as already described above, the problem is that cafestol is released during boiling; when this element enters the body, it disrupts processes and provokes increased secretion of cholesterol.

To avoid this, it is recommended to purchase a coffee maker with a filter or use improvised means: a clean cloth or napkins. To prevent the harmful effects of the drink, you are allowed to drink no more than 2 cups of coffee per day.

Instant

Cafestol is completely absent from the instant caffeine-containing product: since preparing the drink does not require boiling, it easily dissolves in warm water. Thanks to this, we can conclude that its use does not cause an increase in cholesterol.

But we should not forget that such a drink contains flavor enhancers, preservatives, flavorings and other harmful components that can cause irritation of the gastric mucosa or problems in the functioning of the pancreas.

Cafein free

There is an opinion that for atherosclerosis, a caffeine-free drink will be more beneficial, but such reasoning is erroneous. During the processing of coffee beans, the component is removed from the drink, resulting in 99% of the organic compound being eliminated. However, in relation to cholesterol, the drink exhibits the same properties. To reduce the influence of cafestol, it is recommended to use filters.

Green

Green coffee does not require roasting of the coffee beans, so there is no release of cafestol. The main component of the drink is chlorogenic acid, thanks to which green coffee:

• Tones the central nervous system.
• Stimulates blood circulation.
• Speeds up metabolism.
• Removes toxins.
• Stabilizes cholesterol levels in the bloodstream.

Natural coffee does not contain pure cholesterol. An increase in cholesterol in the bloodstream causes cafestol, which is released during cooking of grains. Moreover, the longer the coffee is prepared, the higher the concentration of this component will be in it. To avoid the negative effects of the drink, it is recommended to use special filters. You can also replace black coffee with instant or green coffee, since they do not contain cafestol.

Composition of the product and its effect on the body

Despite the simplicity of the drink and its low calorie content (about 9 Kcal in one cup), the coffee beans themselves are not as simple as they might seem at first glance, but have an extremely complex and varied composition.

Safe dose of coffee.

Caffeine , the same main component found not only in coffee but also in tea, is extracted industrially for further use in energy drinks.

Caffeine affects the central nervous system, increasing its activity, as a result of which mental and physical performance increases, drowsiness disappears, and dopamine (the hormone that causes a feeling of pleasure) is released.

In addition, new studies using high-tech equipment have shown that caffeine reduces platelet aggregation, that is, it reduces the risk of small particles sticking together, which subsequently form blood clots.

However, there is also a negative side to this effect, since caffeine increases heart function and increases blood pressure. This is why doctors do not recommend drinking coffee if you have atherosclerosis, hypertension and other diseases of the cardiovascular system.

Nicotinic acid (vitamin B3) is a vitamin involved in many metabolic reactions, including lipid metabolism. One cup of natural bean coffee (100 ml espresso) contains from 1.00 to 1.67 mg of nicotinic acid.

It is known that when taking more than 3-4 mg of nicotinic acid per day, the level of LDL cholesterol in a person’s blood significantly decreases, and the level of HDL (the so-called “good cholesterol”) increases.

Nicotinic acid contains vitamin PP - one of the main vitamins that determine the processes of conversion of energy, fat and sugar. In addition, it strengthens small capillaries, normalizes the structure and elasticity of blood vessels, and improves blood circulation.

Nicotinic acid also dilates small blood vessels, improving the circulation of substances in them, and increases the fibrinolytic activity of the blood. Due to such a wide range of pharmacological properties, nicotinic acid is actively used in the treatment of atherosclerosis and some other vascular diseases.

However, this does not mean at all that if you have high cholesterol levels, it is enough to drink several cups of coffee a day, which provide a “medicinal” dose of nicotinic acid. Don’t forget about the high content of the previous component in coffee beans – caffeine.

Cafestol is a molecule found in unfiltered Arabica beans (it is found in extremely small quantities in filtered drinks). As a rule, cafestol is formed mostly during cooking. Its structure is similar to resin, it is insoluble in water, and when it enters the body, it disrupts lipid metabolism, changes the activity of liver cells, as well as the synthesis of bile acids.

In addition to these three components that are most interesting to us, coffee beans also contain:

• 
  The effect of an excessive dose of caffeine on the body.
  nitrogenous substances;

• fats;
• proteins;
• carbohydrates;
• essential oils;
• sugar;
• vitamin B6.

The content of all the substances described above depends on the type of coffee beans, as well as on the roasting method and the subtleties of preparation. However, their effect on the body with an adequate daily dose of the drink remains minimal; caffeine, cafestol and nicotinic acid have the greatest impact.

Green coffee

A drink that promotes health and prevents the development of malignant cells and pathologies of the cardiovascular system.

To obtain this product, the grains are not roasted, they are simply collected and listened to. The only difference from the usual one is its composition. And also the drink will not have the same aroma. However, a mug of green coffee will contain the same amount of caffeine as black coffee. It has the following effects:

• tonic;
• laxative;
• cleansing.

It also has a positive effect on carbohydrate metabolism. What about cholesterol? Unroasted green cafestol grains do not contain and therefore do not provoke the development of lipid.

Cafestol

The composition contains minimal fat, protein and carbohydrates. Plus low calorie content. At first glance, you might think that there is nothing in coffee that affects high cholesterol. Does coffee raise cholesterol? The substance cafestol has an enhancing effect. If you consume more than 7 cups of coffee per day, for a month, this increases cholesterol by an average of 7%. Agree, this is a lot.

Particular attention must be paid to the cooking process itself. Cafestol is produced during cooking, which means that the natural product contains a very high content of this substance. The longer the product is cooked, the more cafestol it contains.

Instant drink and cholesterol

Instant coffee is a miracle of the food industry. It turns out as follows: the coffee berries are peeled and the beans are isolated, which are roasted and boiled under high pressure for about five hours. During this time, the grain completely dissolves in water.

The resulting extract is cooled, filtered, and then, under the action of evaporation and a vacuum press, granules are obtained that are used for dissolution in water. During the processing process, the granules are saturated with various aromatic substances, which makes the taste and smell more interesting.

Instant coffee does not contain cafestol

Many coffee lovers do not consider instant granules a worthy drink, but rather a surrogate with half the effect of the original source. Indeed, obtaining such a drink is possible if you purchase low-quality granules with a poor degree of processing. There are many ways to reduce the cost of producing instant coffee, making it available on the market for most people.

Whether there is cholesterol in an instant drink is a key question for patients suffering from high blood cholesterol. Everyone wants to know what kind of coffee they can drink so as not to provoke an increase in cholesterol. In this case, the instant drink fully meets the needs of people with high cholesterol. The granules do not contain cafestol at all, so they cannot affect blood cholesterol levels. For a healthy person in reasonable quantities it will not cause harm.

Patients with pathologies of the liver or stomach, as well as those suffering from pancreatitis, should not drink coffee drink in granules. The coffee drink contains impurities that are irritants to the gastric mucosa, and if you have diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, there is a risk of their exacerbation.

What can you replace coffee with?

You can replace the invigorating drink with simple, affordable products:

• Ordinary water. A glass of clean water, drunk in the morning on an empty stomach, helps you wake up, cheer up, and improves your mood. The main cause of fatigue is dehydration. It is advisable to drink 2-2.5 liters of water every day. This maintains tone, energy exchange, and water-salt balance.
• Freshly squeezed citrus juice is a source of vitamin C and antioxidants. Invigorates, activates mental activity.
• Fresh berries added to breakfast provide an influx of energy, good mood, and vigor. To maintain the effect, it is useful to eat them during a snack.
• Natural dark chocolate is a source of endorphins, dopamine, and good mood. The natural product is useful for lipid metabolism and improves blood properties.
• Nuts are a source of omega-3, very nutritious, and have high energy value. They satisfy hunger, relieve fatigue, and increase immunity. Good for the heart, liver, brain.
• Apples and bananas are rich in microelements, boron, quercetin. Strengthen concentration, memory, maintain muscle tone.
• Tea contains caffeine. But the tannins included in its composition neutralize the effect of this substance. Invigorates, tones, has a beneficial effect on blood vessels, acts gently, and does not depress the nervous system.

Can I drink green coffee?

The answer is yes. Natural oils are revealed precisely at the moment of roasting, but green grains are not roasted. Therefore, when brewed by any method, cafestol is not released, and thus does not stimulate the organs to produce cholesterol. From this point of view, green ground coffee can be brewed in any way you like.

Keep in mind that due to other components contained in green grains, experts do not recommend drinking more than 4-5 cups of the drink per day.

Sources

• https://coffevsem.ru/kofe/kofe-i-zdorove/kofe-i-holesterin-novye-issledovaniya.html
• https://kofegid.info/zdorove/kofe-pri-cholesterine
• https://holesterinstop.ru/pitanie-i-diety/kofe-i-xolesterin.html
• https://restavracia24.ru/zdorove/vliyanie-kofe-holesterin-krovi
• https://holestein.ru/pitanie/kofe-i-holesterin
• https://aterhol.ru/dieta/kofe-i-uroven-holesterina-v-krovi/
• https://bezholesterina.com/pitanie/kofe-povyshennom-holesterine
• https://kofella.net/kofe-i-zdorove/mozhno-li-pit-kofe-pri-povyishennom-holesterine.html
• https://MyHolesterin.ru/pitanie/kofe-i-holesterin.html

Harm

But, like any barrel of honey, there is a fly in the ointment. There are also contraindications to the use of this drink. These include:

1. Negatively affects blood vessels.
2. Causes arrhythmia.
3. Negatively affects blood pressure.
4. Frequent consumption leads to hypertension.
5. Osteoporosis may develop due to calcium leaching.
6. Heartburn occurs. This can be avoided by adding a little milk to the cup.
7. Caffeine causes dehydration.
8. Causes insomnia.
9. May increase caffeine dependence.

Despite the fact that the negative consequences of use occur with its regular use and in large quantities, everyone still needs to be careful. If you drink more than 2 cups per day, the product affects cholesterol.