PEOPLE’S PHARMACY COFFEE COULD BE BEHIND HIGH CHOLESTEROL

Unfiltered coffee contains cholesterol-raising compounds called cafestol and kahweol. Any coffeemaking technique that uses a filter removes them.

Q: My husband’s cholesterol was going in the wrong direction. It was in the 180s to 190s for years, with his doctor making noises about statins.

My husband and I both have family members who experienced a detrimental drop in brain function clearly linked to statins, so we wanted to avoid them.

Once his cholesterol hit 202, his doctor became insistent. Unfortunately, what we were trying wasn’t working. Then it hit 234. His doctor was not happy, to say the least.

Then I finally read something online that sent me down a different research path. French press coffee can be a culprit.

We decided to continue with our usual French press method, but we added a second step with paper filters and a pour-over cone. After six months of this, his cholesterol is now 179.

We are amazed and grateful that such an easy modification worked. And the coffee tastes even better with the addition of the filter.

This simple change could help a lot of folks. It doesn’t remove the importance of exercise, but most folks could easily make this change, especially if they brew unfiltered at home.

A: Thanks for the fascinating report.

Researchers reported decades ago that unfiltered coffee raises cholesterol, while filtered coffee does not (Metabolism, November 1987).

Recently, scientists found that over 20 years, people drinking filtered coffee lived longer (European Journal of Preventive Cardiology, April 22, 2020).

The people who drank nine cups of unfiltered coffee a day were more likely to die during that time.

Unfiltered coffee contains cholesterol-raising compounds called cafestol and kahweol. Any coffeemaking technique that uses a filter removes them. Great detective work!

In their column, Joe and Teresa Graedon answer letters from readers. Write to them in care of King Features, 628 Virginia Drive, Orlando, FL 32803, or email them via their website: www. PeoplesPharmacy.com.