The Healthiest Way to Brew Coffee for Lower Cholesterol

Coffee contains diterpenes, compounds that can raise LDL cholesterol levels. Known as the “bad” cholesterol, LDL can cause plaque to build up in your arteries and lead to heart problems.

Brewing coffee with paper filters, such as with a Chemex or pour-over method, may be best for heart health.

What Does the Research Show?

Researchers in Sweden tested multiple brewing methods, including French press, paper filters, brewing machines, and boiled coffee, to compare diterpene levels.

Unfiltered coffee, like Scandinavian boiled coffee and Turkish coffee, had the highest amounts, while paper-filtered coffee had the lowest. The four espresso samples tested had a significant variation of diterpene concentration.

“If you regularly drink coffee from machines, it could have an effect on your cholesterol, but it depends on the machine and whether its coffee has been filtered during the process,” said David Iggman, MD, PhD, senior author and an associated researcher of clinical nutrition and metabolism at Uppsala University.

The study also found that many workplace coffee machines don’t properly filter out diterpenes. Replacing three cups of machine-brewed coffee with paper-filtered coffee five days a week may reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease by 13% over five years.

Should You Avoid Unfiltered Coffee?

A 2020 study also found a link between unfiltered coffee and a higher risk of cardiovascular disease and death.

Some countries even include recommendations about filtered and unfiltered coffee in their dietary guidelines. The most recent Nordic Nutrition Recommendations caution against drinking unfiltered coffee due to its potential to raise LDL cholesterol.

“We have not yet tested this in human subjects, but probably you would need to drink several cups per work day to get a clear effect on your cholesterol,” Iggman said.

What Are the Health Benefits of Filtered Coffee?

If you’re concerned about cholesterol levels, you can consider switching to paper-filtered coffee.

However, cholesterol itself is not a heart disease, and many factors can contribute to a high cholesterol level, said David Kao, MD, an associate professor of medicine and biomedical informatics at the University of Colorado School of Medicine.

Coffee may lower the risk of heart disease, colon cancer, Alzheimer’s disease, and stroke.

“The consistent trend is that about three or four cups a day of coffee is associated with lower mortality and heart disease risk than any other amount, and especially more than none,” Kao said.