New study shows most office coffee machines contain cholesterol-raising substances

While we all love to grab a coffee and a catch-up in the office kitchen with our colleagues, the machines we use could be raising our cholesterol levels, according to a new study

Having a coffee at work is a deeply ingrained part of office culture in the UK – and coffee is, in fact, the most regularly consumed beverage in the country. However, if you suffer from high cholesterol, you should be taking into account the findings from new research into office coffee machines – as it turns out that most produce cups of coffee containing substances that raise cholesterol.

The research team behind the new scientific study analysed 14 coffee machines and found the levels of these substances was higher in drinks from the machines than from regular drip-filter coffee makers. Conducted by scientists at Uppsala University in Sweden, the research suggested that the filtering process is key when it comes to the presence of cholesterol-elevating substances in coffee.

It had already been found boiled pot coffee contained high levels of the cholesterol-elevating substances, the diterpenes cafestol and kahweol, but the ability of conventional coffee machines found in workplaces to filter out these substances had not been investigated until now.

The coffee used in the study was ground coffee by five regular brands. Samples were then taken from the coffee made by the machines on separate occasions and analysed. There were big differences between the machines in terms of the level of cafestol and kahweol in the coffee they made, the researchers said.

But which machines were the worst? The brewing machine – which is the most common type – produced the coffee with the highest concentrations of diterpenes. Boiled coffee also contained high levels of the substance, as did some of the cups of espresso.

Iggman said: “Most of the coffee samples contained levels that could feasibly affect the levels of LDL cholesterol of people who drank the coffee, as well as their future risk of cardiovascular disease. For people who drink a lot of coffee every day, it’s clear that drip-filter coffee, or other well-filtered coffee, is preferable. To determine the precise effects on LDL cholesterol levels, we would need to conduct a controlled study of subjects who would drink the coffee.”

According to the British Heart Foundation, a moderate amount of tea or coffee (four-to-five cups a day) should be fine for most people – as research has shown that this level of caffeine consumption should not be detrimental to heart health, or affect cholesterol levels.

Source: https://www.getsurrey.co.uk/news/health/new-study-shows-most-office-31494365