Scientists from UiT The Arctic University of Norway found that drinking espresso coffee may affect cholesterol levels differently in men and women.
Coffee is a brewed drink prepared from roasted coffee beans. It is a caffeinated beverage that is typically dark or black when served without milk.
Coffee contains caffeine, a stimulant known to increase energy and reduce fatigue by altering levels of certain neurotransmitters in the brain. Plain coffee also provides small amounts of vitamins and minerals.
Previous research has shown that coffee can raise cholesterol levels due to its chemical compounds, with effects varying by brewing method.
Coffee raises serum cholesterol because of two diterpenes—cafestol and kahweol.
The brewing method strongly influences the diterpene content. Boiled and plunger coffee contain the highest levels of cafestol and kahweol, while filtered coffee contains far less.
Espresso coffee has a moderate amount of these compounds, but its contribution to increased cholesterol levels has been less clear.
In the current study, researchers aimed to examine how different coffee brewing methods, particularly espresso, were linked to total cholesterol levels in the body. Total cholesterol includes both low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol and high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol.
The team analyzed population data from the seventh survey of the Tromsø Study in Northern Norway, which included 21,083 adults aged 40 years and older.
They found that drinking 3–5 cups of espresso daily was strongly linked to increased total cholesterol compared with drinking no espresso at all.
Drinking more than 6 cups of boiled/plunger coffee per day was also linked to higher total cholesterol levels compared with those who drank none.
Additionally, drinking more than 6 cups of filtered coffee daily was associated with higher total cholesterol levels in women, but not in men.
The researchers also observed that instant coffee showed a strong trend toward higher cholesterol, but the association was not statistically significant. All coffee types—except boiled/plunger coffee—showed different effects between men and women.
The team concluded that drinking espresso coffee is associated with increased total cholesterol, with a much stronger effect observed in men than in women. Boiled/plunger coffee is linked to increased cholesterol in both sexes, while filtered coffee is linked to a small increase in women only.
Researchers say this study has significant implications for clinical practice, as coffee is the most frequently consumed central stimulant worldwide. Because of the high volume of global coffee consumption, even small effects on health can have meaningful consequences.
A clearer understanding of how espresso affects cholesterol levels may help improve future recommendations for coffee consumption.
The research was published in Open Heart and conducted by Åsne Lirhus Svatun et al.
