Cholesterol: Can caffeine increase cholesterol levels! Know how much coffee should be consumed safely in a day
Nowadays, due to the continuous changes in our lifestyle, our health is also getting affected continuously. Due to increasing work load and stress, tea and coffee have become a part of our daily routine nowadays. Many of us consume beverages such as coffee, tea, cocoa and cola several times a day. But we all know that the caffeine present in tea or coffee can be harmful for us at times. This is the reason why diabetic patients are advised not to drink tea or coffee. But people are still confused about the effect of tea or coffee on cholesterol. So let’s find out what effect caffeine has on cholesterol.
What is cholesterol?
Cholesterol is a waxy substance found in the cells of our body. It is essential for the production of hormones like estrogen and testosterone in our body for vitamin D etc. Along with this, it also helps in digesting food. Cholesterol is found in foods such as egg yolks, meat and cheese. Although cholesterol is not bad for our body, but when we consume too much fat, especially trans fat, it can prove to be harmful for our body.
Does caffeine raise cholesterol?
Talking about caffeine, it does not directly increase the cholesterol level in the body, but it has an indirect effect, which can contribute to increase the cholesterol in the body. Simply put, caffeine can cause stress, which can increase cortisol levels and raise cholesterol levels. Additionally, caffeine can cause an increase in insulin levels, which can contribute to raising LDL (bad) cholesterol and lowering HDL (good) cholesterol.
coffee is more harmful
It has been revealed in many studies that some elements present in coffee are responsible for increasing the level of bad cholesterol in the body. A substance called diterpene found in coffee prevents the formation of substances in the body that work to break down bad cholesterol. This can increase the level of bad cholesterol in the body. Unfiltered coffee and French press coffee can increase cholesterol levels, while instant coffee and filter coffee are less likely to affect cholesterol.
How safe is it to consume caffeine?
One study found that drinking 5 cups of coffee per day via the French press brewing method for four consecutive weeks could increase blood cholesterol levels by 6 to 8 percent. That’s why drinking 1-2 cups of coffee daily is not harmful for health, but drinking more coffee than this can be harmful.