For most healthy adults, a daily cup of coffee is nothing to feel guilty about. Large studies have linked moderate, habitual coffee drinking with a lower risk of type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and stroke. But if you’re watching your cholesterol, one detail matters more than most people realize: how your coffee is brewed.
The Oils in Coffee That Affect Cholesterol
Coffee beans naturally contain two oily compounds, cafestol and kahweol. Cafestol in particular can raise LDL (“bad”) cholesterol when you drink a lot of coffee that still contains it.
The good news is that a paper filter traps most of these oils. The brew method you choose largely decides how much ends up in your cup.
Which Brew Methods Matter
- Paper-filtered drip or pour-over coffee: very little cafestol gets through. This is the best choice if your cholesterol is high.
- Instant coffee: also very low.
- Espresso: contains some, but servings are small, so a cup or two a day is unlikely to make a big difference for most people.
- French press, Turkish, boiled (“cowboy”), and metal-filter coffee: these let most of the oils through, and are the ones linked with higher LDL.
Decaf doesn’t solve this on its own: removing caffeine doesn’t remove the oils. It’s the filter that matters.
If you have high cholesterol and drink several cups of French press a day, switching to paper-filtered coffee is a simple change that doesn’t mean giving up your morning routine.
How Much Coffee Is Moderate?
Health Canada suggests healthy adults keep caffeine to about 400 mg a day, which is roughly three 8 oz (237 mL) cups of brewed coffee. The limit is 300 mg a day during pregnancy or breastfeeding. Energy drinks, tea, some pain relievers, and pre-workout products add to your total. Learn more about how caffeine affects the body.
Caffeine can briefly raise blood pressure and, in some people, trigger a racing heart, heartburn, or trouble sleeping. If you notice these, cutting back or stopping earlier in the day often helps.
Coffee and Your Medications
Coffee can change how some medications work. It can reduce the absorption of levothyroxine (for an underactive thyroid), which is why it’s usually taken with water well before your first cup. Some medications, such as ciprofloxacin, slow the breakdown of caffeine, leaving you jittery for longer. See our guide to coffee and medication interactions for more examples, and our look at newer research on coffee, liver health, and heart rhythm.
Ask Your Pharmacist
At Centrum Pharmacy, our pharmacists are happy to look at your coffee habit alongside your cholesterol results and your prescriptions, and suggest simple changes that fit your routine. Happy National Coffee Day!
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Disclaimer: The medical information on this site is provided as an information resource only and is not to be used or relied on for any diagnostic or treatment purposes. This information does not substitute for professional diagnosis and treatment. Please do not initiate, modify, or discontinue any treatment, medication, or supplement solely based on this information. Always seek the advice of your healthcare provider first. Full Disclaimer.
