"As hyperlipidemia is a well-established contributor to cardiovascular disease risk, Professor Hyppönen and her colleague Dr. Ang Zhou investigated the association between habitual coffee intake and plasma lipid profile.
“We looked at genetic and phenotypic associations between coffee intake and plasma lipid profiles, finding causal evidence that habitual coffee consumption contributes to an adverse lipid profile which can increase your risk of heart disease,” Professor Hyppönen said.
“High levels of blood lipids are a known risk factor for heart disease, and interestingly, as coffee beans contain a very potent cholesterol-elevating compound (cafestol), it was valuable to examine them together.”
“Cafestol is mainly present in unfiltered brews, such as French press, Turkish and Greek coffees, but it’s also in espressos, which is the base for most barista-made coffees, including lattes and cappuccinos.”
“Importantly, the coffee-lipid association is dose-dependent — the
more you drink unfiltered coffee the more it raises your blood lipids,
putting you at greater risk of heart disease.” SciNews
