Cholesterol-elevating substances found in coffee from machines at work

The coffee from most of the coffee machines in workplaces contains relatively high levels of cholesterol-elevating substances. There is a big difference in comparison to coffee made in regular paper filter coffee makers, which filter out most of these substances.

A new study led by Uppsala University, in collaboration with Chalmers University of Technology, has found that coffee made from certain machines in workplaces can have higher levels of substances that can raise cholesterol. The study was published in the journal Nutrition, Metabolism & Cardiovascular Diseases.

Researchers wanted to understand how much of these cholesterol-raising substances are present in coffee made by machines commonly found in Swedish workplaces. They studied 14 different coffee machines and found that the levels of these substances were much higher in coffee made by these machines compared to regular drip-filter coffee makers.

The researchers discovered that the way coffee is filtered plays a big role in how much of these harmful substances, like cafestol and kahweol, remain in the coffee. While boiling coffee in a pot is known to have high levels of these substances, drip-filter coffee makers with paper filters usually remove them almost completely. However, the study showed that some machines in public spaces, like workplaces, don’t filter them out as effectively, and the levels can vary depending on the machine and even the time of day.

The study found that the most common type of coffee machine, called a brewing machine, produced coffee with the highest amounts of these substances. Other coffee types, such as espresso, French press, and percolator coffee, were also tested, with boiled coffee having the highest levels of cafestol and kahweol. Some espresso samples also showed high levels, but the amounts varied.

David Iggman, the lead researcher from Uppsala University, explained that drinking coffee with these substances could affect people’s LDL cholesterol levels, which in turn could increase the risk of heart disease. For people who drink a lot of coffee daily, drip-filter coffee or other well-filtered coffee is a better choice. To confirm the exact effect on cholesterol levels, a more controlled study would be needed.

The study took samples from each machine every two to three weeks and tested five different brands of ground coffee. Most of the machines used ground coffee, and a few ground the beans inside the machine, but the researchers didn’t believe this had an impact on the levels of harmful substances.