Millions of coffee lovers in the world can't start their day right without drinking a cup of coffee. It is a mood booster and it awakens the senses, making you ready for a busy day.
Coffee has a lot of benefits and is also good for the health as long as it is taken in moderation. A new study published in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology also stated that it can lengthen your life, but only if you prepare it with a filter.
The author of the study, Dag Thelle, a senior professor in the public health and community medicine department of the University of Gothenburg, Sweden, stated that unfiltered coffee contains substances that increase blood cholesterol.
Using a filter removes these and it makes heart attacks and premature death less likely. The study provides strong and convincing evidence of a link between coffee brewing methods, heart attacks, and longevity.
However, those who love coffee made with the French press and those who love strong Greek and Turkish brewing methods should be careful because boiling coffee or using a coffee press can actually increase your risk of heart disease.
Registered dietitian Lisa Drayer said that unfiltered coffee, like Turkish and Greek coffee, which is boiled or made in a French press contain high amounts of cafestol and kahweol, the chemicals found in oil droplets floating in the coffee and also in the sediment.
Studies have shown that these substances can raise triglyceride levels and LDL cholesterol levels. It is best to stick with filtered coffee, such as a paper filter that is used in a drip-brewed coffee, which can help trap the said chemicals.
Drinking filtered coffee for good health
The new study followed half a million Norwegian men and women with no health issues. The participants were between the ages of 20 and 79 years old and the study was done over a 20-year-period. The result showed drinking boiled or pressed unfiltered coffee raised the risk of death in men aged 60 and above because it elevated cardiovascular mortality.
However, drinking filtered coffee was found to be healthier than drinking no coffee at all. Filtered coffee was connected to a 15% reduced risk of death from any cause, a 12% decreased risk of death from cardiovascular disease in men, and a 20% lowered risk of death from heart disease in women when compared to drinking no coffee.
In study also found those who drank one to four cups of filtered coffee every day had the lowest mortality rate. Thelle stated that the finding that those drinking the filtered beverage did a little better than those not drinking coffee at all could not be explained by other variables such as gender, age, or lifestyle habits.
Coffee recommendations
According to the American Heart Association, filtered coffee can sharpen your mental focus, boost your mood, and can improve performance during exercise. Other studies also found that coffee reduces the risk of heart disease, melanoma, multiple sclerosis, type 2 diabetes, prostate cancer, liver disease, Alzheimer's, and computer-related back pain.
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