Coffee provides people with a jolt of energy in the mornings. Besides containing healthful antioxidants, coffee reduces the risk for several health conditions, such as type 2 diabetes. However, researchers have also found a link between coffee consumption and elevated cholesterol levels, which can increase the risk for cardiovascular disease.
Coffee Raises Cholesterol
In a 2007 study conducted by Baylor School of Medicine and published in the journal of "Molecular Endocrinology," researchers discovered the mechanism behind how both caffeinated and decaffeinated coffee raises cholesterol in the body. Coffee contains the compound cafestol, which elevates cholesterol by activating a receptor, known as FXR, in the intestine that reduces the ability of the liver to regulate cholesterol levels. Scientists also noted that removing caffeine does not get rid of cafestol.
Caffeinated Coffee
Researchers analyzed the relationship between coffee consumption and cholesterol levels, according to findings reported in the 1991 issue of the "American Journal of Epidemiology." Participants were examined during a preventive medicine program in Italy. Scientists found that caffeinated coffee users, defined as four to five cups a day, had higher cholesterol levels than non-drinkers. They also observed that as coffee consumption increased, so did cholesterol levels. For example, subjects drinking six cups of coffee a day had higher cholesterol levels than those drinking five cups a day.
Decaffeinated Coffee
Scientists studied the effects of decaffeinated coffee on heart health indicators, such as cholesterol, according to the Science Daily website. Participants were divided into the following three groups: one that drank three to six cups of decaffeinated coffee a day; one that drank three to six cups of caffeinated coffee a day; and the final group were non-coffee drinkers. During the 3-month study, scientists found that decaffeinated coffee group experienced an increase in ApoB, a protein which increases bad cholesterol in the blood, compared to the other groups.
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