French press coffee is popular because of its plump taste, fragrant aroma and convenient extraction method. The French press is a leaching type coffee extraction tool that extracts coffee powder by submerging it in water.
Drinking a lot of this simple and tasty coffee puts you at risk of high cholesterol. According to a recent report by the American media ‘huffpost.com0’, coffee that has not been filtered through paper filters or other similar products can increase LDL cholesterol levels, which can build up plaque (sediment) in the arteries.
Coffee itself is not a source of dietary cholesterol. An oily substance in coffee known as ‘diterpenes’ has been linked to elevated cholesterol when consumed in large amounts (more than six cups a day, according to a 2022 review published in the journal Open Heart).
“The concentration of cafestol, a type of diterpene, is regarding 300 times higher than that of paper-filtered drip coffee,” said cardiologist Robert Fishberg. .
Decaffeination and roasting levels have little effect on diterpene concentrations. Depending on the temperature of the water and how long the coffee is soaked in water, more oil will come out.
The mechanism by which diterpenes increase cholesterol is unclear. “It may increase levels of cholesterol ester transfer protein, which affects how the body metabolizes cholesterol,” Fishberg said.
Diterpenes may also affect two nuclear receptors (a type of protein found in cells) called FXR and PXR, which are responsible for balancing cholesterol levels.
There are studies that coffee has anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer and anti-diabetic effects, so more research is needed on the effects of coffee on health.
If you want to enjoy French press coffee with minimal effect on cholesterol, you can switch to dark roast with a low diterpene concentration. You can also limit the amount of French press coffee per day or alternate it with drip coffee using a paper filter.
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recommends that adults limit their caffeine intake to 400 mg per day, or 4 cups of coffee. However, people who are sensitive to caffeine, have heart disease, are pregnant, or are taking medications that change blood cholesterol should reduce their intake.
Reporter Lee Ji-won ljw316@kormedi.com
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