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Can Coffee Raise Cholesterol?

Posting Date: 01/26/2004

Q. I use a French press coffee maker, which in my opinion makes a superior cup of coffee. A friend said that brewing coffee this way will raise my cholesterol so I should pour the coffee through a paper filter (like the ones in drip coffee pots). This seems silly, but my cholesterol is a little high. Would this make a difference?

A. The way coffee is brewed may affect cholesterol levels. After debating this issue for decades, scientists have concluded that coffee made in a percolator or with grounds in a pot (cowboy-style) contain cholesterol-raising compounds.

The French press brewing technique also yields coffee that may raise bad LDL cholesterol (Journal of Internal Medicine, Sept. 2000). Paper filters appear to trap some of the cholesterol-raising culprits when coffee is dripped, but we don?t know if putting your coffee through a filter after it is brewed will solve the problem.

Q. What is the miracle of Listerine? Twenty years ago I got shingles. I had a blistery rash and it really hurt.

My doctor told me to rub Listerine on it. The itching stopped, the rash disappeared and the pain went away for good.

I also had gums that bled every time I brushed my teeth. The dentist told me to dip my toothbrush in Listerine and apply it to my gums after each brushing. The problem vanished and I haven't had trouble since.

A. Listerine contains a number of herbal extracts (thymol , eucalyptol , menthol , methyl salicylate) in an alcohol solution. There are no studies to suggest that such ingredients could help relieve shingles or speed healing from gum disease. Nevertheless, it is not inconceivable that one or more of the oils in Listerine might be beneficial for such conditions.

Q. For years I have read your columns about how grapefruit affects medicines. I thought it was interesting but it didn?t apply to me. Then I had angioplasty and started taking Coumadin to prevent a blood clot and Zocor to lower cholesterol.