# French Press and lipids



## bulldog (Feb 14, 2006)

Well, for a few days I enjoyed my better coffee from my new French Press pot. However, when I shared the news with my doctor, he quickly pointed out that, without the filter to remove harmful oils, the coffee would raise my cholesterol and hasten heart disease. The oils add flavor, but raise risk. No free lunch, I guess. Back to filter drip with better beans for more flavor.


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## jasonpraxis (Mar 29, 2005)

I've read that boiled coffee (as opposed to dripped through a filter) may increase cholesterol levels slightly over time, but I've never had a chat with my doctor about it. I suppose it's just one of any number of factors in the equation, and I do what I can to mitigate that through exercise, diet, and stress reduction.

Besides, coffee from my Bialetti tastes great!


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## jbmcb (Sep 7, 2005)

Like anything else, don't drink a lot of it and you'll be fine.


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## Spence (Feb 28, 2006)

I think your doctor is confused, perhaps when you said coffee they thought you were drinking Starbucks caramel whipped creme frappachinos...

I don't think regular coffee has any fat or calorie content worth mention, until you load it up with half/half which is clearly optional.

-spence


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## rip (Jul 13, 2005)

I guess we could all drink water, highly filtered and bottled water, that is, which probably poses less threat to health than most other drinks, but who wants to live their life that way? Certainly, not I. I have a theory about life that I call, for want of a better phrase, "The Yellow Cab Theory of Life and Living" which states that no matter how I live, no matter where I go in the world or what I do there, I am in greater danger crossing Fifth Avenue in NYC from the Yellow Cabs.


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## Wayfarer (Mar 19, 2006)

Spence said:


> I think your doctor is confused, perhaps when you said coffee they thought you were drinking Starbucks caramel whipped creme frappachinos...
> 
> I don't think regular coffee has any fat or calorie content worth mention, until you load it up with half/half which is clearly optional.
> 
> -spence


No, his physician is quite up on the literature. Apparently filtered coffee blocks out oils known as terpenes and these oils seem to have an agonist effect on the levels not only of total cholesterol in the blood, but more harmfully, LDLs. I think the literature is for rather large use of unfiltered coffee, as in 6-8 cups of unfiltered coffee per day.


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## Spence (Feb 28, 2006)

Ok, I stand corrected on that point...although in the overall equation it would seem to be a small portion of your diet. 

-spence


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## Wayfarer (Mar 19, 2006)

Spence said:


> Ok, I stand corrected on that point...although in the overall equation it would seem to be a small portion of your diet.
> 
> -spence


Hehe, so I'm correct, but it does not really matter?

Just take my viewpoint: by and large, cholesterol levels are genetic. Think of plaque as insulation for your arteries


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