Is this doc's cholesterol-lowering coffee hack genius?
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Brewing your coffee [this way] will remove most diterpenes. This way you can enjoy your cup of coffee without the risk of increasing your LDLs.
—Jeremy London, MD, board-certified cardiothoracic surgeon
That French press you swear by, or the daily espresso shot you can’t live without, might be doing more than just fueling your morning rounds.
Turns out, the way coffee is brewed can have a measurable impact on cholesterol levels—an under-the-radar detail most patients (and plenty of physicians) overlook.
Related: Stop drinking coffee wrong: Here’s the healthiest time for caffeineThe problem
According to cardiothoracic surgeon Jeremy London, MD, unfiltered coffee methods—think French press, Turkish boiled coffee, and espresso—allow oily compounds called diterpenes to slip into the cup.
These naturally occurring molecules can interfere with the body’s cholesterol breakdown, leading to elevated LDL cholesterol and ApoB, both strongly linked to cardiovascular risk.
The filter fix
Fortunately, the solution is simple: paper filters.
"Brewing your coffee through a paper filter will remove most diterpenes. This way you can enjoy your cup of coffee without the risk of increasing your LDLs," Dr London said.
Related: Coffee can treat this debilitating condition, research showsWhat this means for your practice
While dietary counseling often focuses on fats, sugars, and sodium, coffee brewing methods rarely make it onto the checklist.
Yet for patients with stubborn LDL elevations—or those frustrated by minimal improvements despite adherence—asking, “How do you brew your coffee?” could uncover a sneaky culprit.
It’s a small conversation that could make a measurable difference. Coffee might not need to be sacrificed, but the brewing method could be the missing piece in the cholesterol puzzle.