Caffeine's Effect on Cholesterol and Digestion

Caffeine has an effect on cholesterol and digestion in some people. The effect depends on the kind and amount of coffee that you consume.

Kinds of Coffee

• Most people in the United States drink coffee that is brewed through a filter. Some people enjoy drinking coffee like espresso, Turkish coffee and French pressed coffee that is boiled and unfiltered.

Effects on Cholesterol

• Unfiltered coffee contains cafestol, which increases the low density lipoproteins (LDL) and triglycerides in the body when a person consumes 60 milligrams or up to 10 cups of boiled, unfiltered coffee per day. The high density lipoproteins (HDL) are not affected. Cafestol is removed through the filter process and does not affect the cholesterol levels as much.

Slow Metabolism of Caffeine

• The increase of LDL cholesterol and triglycerides is found mostly in people who consume large amounts of boiled, unfiltered coffee and whose systems metabolize caffeine slowly.

Effect on Digestion

• High consumption of boiled, unfiltered caffeine also affects digestion in some people by causing the stomach to produce large amounts of stomach acid that irritates the stomach lining and makes digestion less effective.

Other Considerations

• Cholesterol results are somewhat inconclusive because many foods and drinks can cause a rise in cholesterol numbers. People who consume large amounts of caffeine might also be heavy smokers who live an inactive lifestyle. These people might also add cream, sugar and other additives to the coffee, which could also cause a rise in cholesterol.