What if your morning coffee is messing with your cholesterol?

My mum’s been on cholesterol-lowering meds since she was 30. So when my LDL crept up at the same age, I figured the family curse had kicked in.

Then something weird happened.

I started drinking ‘trendy’ batch brew coffee… and my LDL dropped for the first time in years.

No diet change. No supplements. Just a different brew method.

Sounds nuts, but it checks out. Science backs it.

So if your cholesterol has been stubbornly high for no obvious reason, your coffee routine might be the missing piece.

Why coffee is affecting your cholesterol

Coffee beans contain natural oily compounds called diterpenes - specifically two named cafestol and kahweol.

You won’t find these oils in tea, energy drinks, or even most plant oils. Only coffee.

These oils are part of the coffee beans natural defense system, and have a range of anti-inflammatory, anti-diabetic and anticancer benefits¹ .

And while this all sounds great, studies have identified cafestol as “the most potent cholesterol-elevating compound known in the human diet² ”.

Milligram for milligram, cafestol raises LDL cholesterol more than bacon fat, butter or processed meat.

Cafestol disrupts lipid metabolism, triggers inflammation, and harms endothelial function, all big factors driving heart disease³ .

Kahweol’s not far behind, but cafestol is the real villain here.

Yep. If it sneaks through your brewing method, it can push your LDL (bad) cholesterol way up—even if the rest of your diet is spotless.

Do you need to quit coffee?

Not at all.

But how you brew it makes a huge difference.

How you brew matters

Researchers have discovered that the way you brew coffee is the key factor in how it affects your cholesterol⁴ .

This is because different methods can either trap or let through those cholesterol-raising diterpenes (cafestol and kahweol)⁵ .

But not every cup of coffee is the same.

Multiple studies show a clear worst coffee to drink: unfiltered, boiled coffee.

A major Norwegian study involving over 21,000 participants found people drinking lots of boiled or French press coffee had significantly higher cholesterol than filtered coffee drinkers⁶ .

By drinking 6+ cups/day unfiltered coffee, their LDL cholesterol increased by about 8–12 mg/dL (0.25–0.30 mmol/L)⁷ .

Same amount of daily filtered coffee? Minimal effect on cholesterol.

Drinking unfiltered coffee regularly might not seem significant day-to-day—but over months, it can steadily push LDL cholesterol into higher-risk territory.

So what are the best and worst coffees for cholesterol?

What coffee should I drink?

☕️ Unfiltered coffee = cholesterol trouble

Examples: French press (cafetière) coffee, Turkish/Greek coffee (boiled with grounds), Scandinavian boiled coffee, and others like percolator or “cowboy” coffee.

When coffee is brewed without a paper filter, cafestol and kahweol stay in the cup. These oils raise your LDL (bad) cholesterol.

• Scandinavian boiled coffee: ~7.2 mg cafestol per cup

• Turkish coffee: ~5.3 mg cafestol per cup

• French press: ~3.5 mg cafestol per cup⁸ .

Each 10 mg/day of cafestol can bump your LDL cholesterol by about 5 mg/dL within 2 to 6 weeks⁹.

🥄 Espresso: small, but it adds up

Examples: Espresso, lattes, cappuccinos, macchiatos. Anything brewed by forcing hot water through finely-ground coffee using only a metal filter.

Espresso lands in the middle. One shot has about 1 mg cafestol, which isn’t much.

But here's the catch: Few people stop at one shot.

Think about ordering a large latte. That’s three shots right there. This quickly multiplies your cafestol intake.

In a major Norwegian study, heavy espresso drinkers (3–5 cups daily) had notably higher cholesterol—especially men¹⁰ .

One or two espresso shots a day might be fine, but beyond that, you’re entering cholesterol-raising territory.

✅ Filtered coffee = your best brew

Examples: Drip coffee makers, V60, pour-overs with paper filters, instant coffee.

Paper filters catch 95%+ of cafestol, drastically reducing cholesterol effects¹¹ .

Large-scale studies back this up—filtered coffee drinkers have cholesterol levels similar to non-coffee drinkers, and often better cardiovascular profiles¹² .

This is because filtered coffee even has other health perks: coffee is rich in antioxidants, and moderate consumption is linked to lower risk of developing hypertension, heart failure, and atrial fibrillation¹³.

☕️ What about decaf?

Choosing decaf coffee doesn’t automatically protect your cholesterol—it still depends heavily on brewing method.

• Unfiltered decaf still contains cafestol and kahweol, potentially raising cholesterol.

• One study found decaf drinkers (unfiltered) actually had higher cholesterol than regular coffee drinkers, possibly because decaf beans are selected for richer oils to maintain flavor¹⁴ .

• Paper-filtered decaf, however, remains a cholesterol-friendly option.

Obviously, one daily cup of French press or Turkish coffee won't dramatically spike your cholesterol.

Experts say it typically takes around five or more cups daily to seriously impact your LDL cholesterol¹⁵ .

The real concern kicks in if you're regularly downing multiple cups of unfiltered coffee each day.

The bottom line on your brew:

Coffee doesn’t have to clash with healthy cholesterol. It’s all in how you brew. The culprits, cafestol and kahweol, hide in unfiltered coffee, quietly nudging your LDL upwards.

But there's an easy fix: switching to paper-filtered coffee clears out most of these cholesterol-raisers.

Love the boldness of French press or espresso? Totally fine—just enjoy in moderation.

But if you already have high cholesterol, or a genetic predisposition, cut out the unfiltered coffee.

Plus, now you can feel smug about being a coffee aficionado who exclusively drinks fancy pour-overs from a glass Chemex 🎩 ☕️.

Cheers to that.

P.S: Want my go-to filtered brew method? Hit reply.

Reviewed by Julija Rabcuka, BA(Oxon), MSc. 

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