Different studies have found that decaffeinated coffee can raise LDL cholesterol levels. So, is it not safe to consume it, and does it really increase it?
Decaffeinated coffee has for years become an extremely interesting alternative for those who want to continue enjoying their cup of coffee in the morning or at a snack, but nevertheless cannot or do not want to drink normal coffee, either because it excites them a lot, because they have it contraindicated (for example, in case of arterial hypertension), or because they simply do not like it.
It is a drink with the same bitter taste – compared to the traditional coffee drink. What, unlike the original, the grains with which it is made have been extracted part of the caffeine, which is one of its main exciting substances.
However, we must not forget something fundamental. Even if decaffeinated coffee has caffeine removed, this does not mean that it has been 100 percent decaffeinated. That is, at the moment, no method used during the extraction process is capable of removing the caffeine from the beans completely.
In fact, while a regular cup of coffee contains approximately 100 mg. of caffeine, a cup of decaffeinated coffee has about 2 mg. of caffeine. It is, as we can see, a certainly insignificant amount, but it could still continue to be excessive if the consumption of caffeine is contraindicated.
Does decaffeinated coffee raise blood cholesterol levels?
In 2005, a study, according to which decaffeinated coffee could cause an increase in LDL cholesterol levels, popularly known as bad cholesterol, by raising the values of a specific type of fat that is linked to metabolic syndrome.
During the study, which lasted 3 months, a total of 187 people participated who were randomly assigned to three different groups: one group drank between three and six cups of caffeinated coffee a day; another group drank three to six cups of decaffeinated coffee a day; and the third group, control, did not drink any coffee.
The scientists measured the levels of heart health indicators both before and after the study of the participants, in addition to measuring the level of caffeine in the blood. Among other aspects, they took into account parameters such as LDL and HDL levels, total cholesterol, triglycerides, blood pressure, glucose, insulin, heart rate, apolipoprotein B (associated with LDL) and high-density lipoprotein 2 (HDL2).
While the scientists found no significant changes in both insulin and blood glucose levels, after 3 months of drinking coffee the group that drank decaf experienced an increase in fatty acids, increasing the total amount of fat in the blood in 18%, not being altered in the other two groups.
In addition, in the group that drank decaffeinated coffee, the people who were not overweight (that is, a body mass index greater than 25), HDL2 levels decreased by about 30%. If we consider that HDL2 is a type of HDL whose high levels are associated with a low risk of heart disease, it seems that decaffeinated coffee had an obviously negative effect on the cardiovascular health of those who consumed it regularly.
So decaf coffee isn’t as healthy as regular coffee?
The truth is that in the scientific community there is some discrepancy on this. And not just about whether regular coffee is healthier than decaf, but whether the coffee itself is suitable.
Mainly because there are conflicting studies, which on the one hand confirm that coffee helps to reduce cholesterol levels, while others confirmed its elevation.
For example, in 1991 a trial found that changing normal coffee for decaffeinated increased plasma LDL cholesterol levels, as well as apolipoprotein B. However, in 1994, a new trial in healthy young adults (in which 119 people participated) observed that switching from normal to decaffeinated coffee had no effect on raising cholesterol.
However, a few years later, a Meta – analysis of different controlled studies on the effects of coffee on cholesterol was carried out. And it was found that two compounds typical of coffee (known as cafestol and kahweol), could decrease bile acids and neutral sterols, leading to an increase in cholesterol. This was also confirmed by another study.
But the harmful effects of these two compounds would only be seen if decaffeinated coffee – or regular coffee – is taken in high amounts.
Therefore, in the absence of any type of contraindication, normal or decaffeinated coffee can be taken without excess, not exceeding 2-3 cups a day.
