Unfiltered Coffee Can Raise Level Of Cholesterol

Lots of coffee lovers say their French press or plunger pot - also called a cafetiere - makes a much better-tasting brew than American drip coffee machines.

But the Environmental Nutrition newsletter warns that in a Dutch study, coffee prepared this way - basically boiled and unfiltered - raised LDL (or “bad”) cholesterol levels by 9 percent to 14 percent higher than levels in people who drank filtered coffee.

Unfiltered coffee contains compounds called diterpenes that are removed by American-style drip pots using either gold mesh or paper filters. Further, that kind of coffee has been shown not to raise cholesterol levels.

The newsletter’s advice is to stick with your drip machine, especially if you drink more than a couple of cups a day.