Doctor explains why you could be making coffee wrong — and shares one simple tip to fix it
Many people around the world like to start their day with a cup of coffee. Some even like to have multiple cups throughout the day to keep feeling energised. But drinking coffee the wrong way might increase a person's cholesterol, according to a 2022 study by BMJ Journals. The popular hot beverage might raise serum cholesterol levels because of its components like diterpenes, cafestol and kahweol. The amount can vary depending on the brewing method. A physician and scientist, Dr. Trisha Pasricha, shared one coffee brewing method that can make the beverage better for cholesterol levels, per The Washington Post.
"If you drink multiple cups of coffee per day, I actually do not recommend using a French press," Dr. Pasricha remarked. "Instead, you should drink coffee made in a standard coffee pot or anything that uses a paper filter." Drip coffee, pour-overs, cold brew and instant coffee are all good options, according to the doctor. A paper filter traps the coffee compounds that are known to raise a person's cholesterol levels. "Diterpenes slide right past the metal mesh of a French press." Pasricha revealed that people who drink filtered coffee had longer lifespans than ones who drink unfiltered coffee, like espresso or French press. This happens because of the higher cholesterol levels caused by such brewing methods.
Pasricha also shared that instant coffee and coffee pods are also paper-filtered because of "how they are processed." Hence, good alternatives to have if people prefer not having drip coffee. "Instant coffee is actually brewed filtered coffee that gets industrially dried into granules. Coffee pods actually contain a tiny filter on the inside." But because of concerns like microplastics and single-use plastics, the doctor preferred avoiding coffee pods altogether. The physician and scientist at Harvard Medical School believed that drinking coffee is otherwise great for a person's health. Drinking three to five cups of espresso and six or more cups of French press coffee can cause such issues with cholesterol, according to the outlet.
Diterpenes in coffee decrease the liver function responsible for removing LDL cholesterol from a person's system. The doctor also recommended that a person shouldn't put more than one teaspoon of sugar or two tablespoons of whole milk in their coffee. One can drink three and a half such cups throughout the day without negative health impacts. Coffee is a great source of antioxidants and can be great for people who drink between one and a half to three and a half cups a day. The beverage was also associated with a lower risk of diseases like type 2 diabetes, Parkinson's disease and colorectal cancer.
People who drink coffee without sugar are bound to experience better health benefits from their daily drink. But even while adding sugar, Pasricha suggested that people should remember the fact that the total recommended daily intake of added sugar was six teaspoons for women and nine teaspoons for men. Artificial sweeteners weren't considered the right choice for everyone, as unsweetened coffee or coffee with sugar was seen to have better health benefits. People were advised to avoid adding creamer to their coffee because of the presence of oils and to drink it early in the day.