Cholesterol & Caffeine In Coffee

You may not think of coffee as being problematic when it comes to your cholesterol levels, but it can be. The caffeine that coffee provides can also cause difficulties for some people. Guard your health by drinking only coffee that doesn't have an adverse effect on your cholesterol levels -- or your nerves.

Cholesterol in Coffee

By itself, coffee doesn't have cholesterol, which is only found in animal products. The cream you put in your coffee is another story however, and can significantly increase your intake of dietary cholesterol. For example, a tablespoon of light whipping cream provides over 4 g of fat, 17 mg of which is in the form of cholesterol. Keep in mind that saturated fat, which is the dominant form of fat in cream, is instrumental in raising blood cholesterol levels. Half and half, also often used in coffee, provides only half the fat of light whipping cream, and one third the amount of cholesterol.

Coffee's Effect on Cholesterol

Even though black coffee doesn't contain cholesterol, it can cause levels of LDL, the "bad" cholesterol, to rise. Coffee contains cafestol, a substance that strongly stimulates an increase in LDL cholesterol levels. People who want to maintain low cholesterol levels or who already have high cholesterol levels should drink coffee that has been filtered through a paper filter during the brewing process, as the filter traps the oils in which cafestol is found. Coffee prepared in a French press, boiled coffee and Turkish coffee contain relatively high amounts of cafestol, as does espresso to a lesser extent.

Caffeine in Coffee

The amount of caffeine in a cup of coffee depends both on the type of coffee and how it was prepared. Specialty coffees such as Kenyan, Costa Rica and French roast tend to have more caffeine than coffee blends. Brewed coffee has more caffeine than instant coffee. Of course, the serving size also affects the amount of caffeine you ingest when you drink a cup of this stimulating beverage. A 24 oz. cup of brewed Costa Rican coffee contains 367 mg of caffeine, an amount that could cause anxiety symptoms in caffeine-sensitive people. Size can be deceiving if you are drinking espresso, however. A mere ounce of espresso has 58 mg of caffeine.

Recommendations

To minimize caffeine's adverse effect on cholesterol levels, always drink coffee that has been brewed using a paper filter. Instead of cream or half and half, drink your coffee black or use low-fat milk or artificial creamer. To make your coffee even more heart-friendly, avoid sugar and use a non-nutritive sweetener instead, as sugar raises levels of triglycerides in the blood, which can result in clogged arteries. Watch your serving sizes so that you don't inadvertently consume more caffeine than you intend to. If you begin suffering from insomnia or symptoms of anxiety, cut back on the amount of caffeinated coffee you drink.