Coffee and High Cholesterol? - High Cholesterol Message Board

woodfaery · 05-22-2005, 05:08 PM

Hi, I just found out through my sister that she has high cholesterol and so does my mother. Its so strange how close they are but not to me.

I am the blacksheep. But, I am thankful I found out that there may be a genetic connection with the high cholesterol. Interestingly I have not had high cholesterol at all. I use extra virgin olive oil and limit fried foods. My sister just now told me she cut out coffee from her diet because it is high in cholesterol. For some reason I find this hard to believe as I am a regular coffee drinker and not ever heard of this info. Does anyone know how true this information is? Is coffee high in cholesterol?

WF

JJ · 05-22-2005, 05:22 PM

I have heard pros and cons about that subject. When I was working I drank more coffee then I do now, and my cholesterol was not an issue, so go figure.

I have also read that coffee has Niacin in it on some web pages. Getting so U don't know what to believe. I swear I am going back to eating the way I always did, as nothing seems to make much of a difference. Seems the harder U try, the worse off U are, maybe STRESS causes it, as we are all stressed out worrying about it....

Maybe that is why U are the black sheep, U don't have it and they do. I know, not funny, but just had to shove that in there.....

JJ · 05-22-2005, 05:31 PM

This is what I found and have heard about coffee and cholesterol:

There is reassuring news for Americans, the majority of whom drink filtered coffee. However, in European countries boiled coffee is more common and therefore may be more of a factor for those trying to lower serum cholesterol.

When making recommendations to patients with elevated cholesterol levels it may be worthwhile to ask about their coffee drinking habits. If they drink a large amount of unfiltered coffee, switching to filtered coffee may be a helpful addition to the traditional heart-healthy diet.

ARIZONA73 · 05-22-2005, 06:03 PM

WF,

There is no cholesterol in coffee.

Uff-Da! · 05-22-2005, 07:58 PM

Dietary cholesterol is found only in animal foods. Coffee is not an animal food. Besides, dietary cholesterol has been found not to influence serum cholesterol nearly as much as do saturated fats.

I just found the news item to which JJ referred. According to it, scientists believe that two compounds in unfiltered coffee, cafestol and kahweol, are to blame for being able to raise serum cholesterol up to 20 points. This doesn't happen with filtered coffee.

There is a lot out there that we just don't know yet. How many other chemicals in foods influence serum cholesterol of which we are as yet unaware?