[Negligible amounts of cholesterol-raising diterpenes in coffee made with coffee pads in comparison with unfiltered coffee].
OBJECTIVE
To determine the amounts of the serum-cholesterol raising diterpenes cafestol and kahweol in coffee made with coffee pads and the Senseo coffee machine as opposed to filtered and unfiltered coffee.


METHODS
Observational.


METHODS
In five cities in the Netherlands coffee was purchased in three major supermarkets resulting in a total of 30 samples of coffee pads. The levels of cafestol and kahweol were determined by gas chromatography. As controls, the diterpene levels in filtered and unfiltered coffee were also measured.


RESULTS
Coffee prepared using coffee pads contained on average 0.76 mg/l cafestol (95% CI: 0.69-0.82) and 0.85 mg/l kahweol (95% CI: 0.77-0.94). Filtered coffee contained 0.76 mg/l cafestol (95% CI: 0.63-0.88) and 0.81 mg/l kahweol (95% CI: 0.63-0.99). Unfiltered coffee contained 72.5 mg/l cafestol (95% CI: 48.5-96.4) and 71.5 mg/l kahweol (95% CI: 45.0-98.1).


CONCLUSIONS
Coffee prepared using coffee pads and the Senseo coffee machine contained minute levels of diterpenes comparable to those of filtered coffee. Its effect on serum-cholesterol levels is therefore likely to be negligible.
Boekschoten
M V
MV
Wageningen Universiteit, afd. Humane Voeding, Bomenweg 2, 6703 HD Wageningen. mark.boekschoten@wur.nl
van Cruchten
S T J
ST
Kosmeijer-Schuil
T G
TG
Katan
M B
MB
D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood*; D003069:Coffee / Q000737:chemistry*; D004224:Diterpenes / Q000032:analysis* / Q000494:pharmacology; D006801:Humans; D050356:Lipid Metabolism / Q000187:drug effects*
D003069:Coffee; D004224:Diterpenes; C053401:kahweol; D002784:Cholesterol; C053400:cafestol