☕ Instant Coffee, Decaf Coffee, and Mushroom Coffee: Cholesterol and Your Heart — The Facts That Matter
Last week, I blogged about coffee and its relationship with cholesterol and heart health. Some readers asked great follow-up questions: What about instant coffee, decaf coffee, and mushroom coffee? Let’s break down what the research says. ☕ Coffee and Cholesterol Basics Coffee itself contains no cholesterol , but it does have two natural oils — cafestol and kahweol — known as diterpenes . These compounds can raise LDL (the “bad” cholesterol). Using paper filters to brew coffee removes 80–90% of cafestol and kahweol. In contrast, unfiltered coffee can raise LDL cholesterol by up to 8% in just four weeks . (See: Coffee, Cholesterol, and Your Heart: The Facts That Matter ) ☕ Instant Coffee and Cholesterol Instant coffee isn’t brewed through a filter — you simply add hot water to the granules. So, does it affect cholesterol levels? Instant coffee is considered a low-cafestol option , similar to filtered coffee, and is generally safe for cholesterol-cons...