unfiltered coffee raises homocysteine

[Guest guest]

I'm not sure how one would go about drinking unfiltered coffee but it seems

that doing so is bad for the heart.

I suppose those old metal percolators use unfiltered coffee. I'm not sure. I

didn't start drinking coffee until the modern era of drip filtered Mr.

Coffee machines.

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Unfiltered Coffee Risky for Heart

Here's something to ponder over your morning cup of java: Unfiltered

coffee may heighten your risk of suffering a heart attack and a stroke.

For the most part, it's safe to drink a lot of coffee, one of the most

widely consumed beverages in the world. Unfiltered coffee, however, may not

be as safe. According to researchers from the Agricultural University

Wageningen, in the Netherlands, unfiltered coffee appears to raise levels of

a substance called homocysteine, a byproduct of the amino acid methionine.

Previous studies have connected elevated levels of homocysteine to a higher

risk for heart attacks and stroke.

In this study, 64 healthy individuals were asked to drink six large

cups of unfiltered coffee every day for two weeks. Then, they repeated the

study with a different beverage. Researchers say unfiltered coffee contains

higher concentrations of a substance called diterpene, which has been shown

to raise homocysteine levels. Diterpenes are normally removed through

filtering.

Researchers found unfiltered coffee raised homocysteine levels 10

percent, translating to a 10 percent overall increased risk of heart attack

or stroke. They conclude people who have heart disease or who are at risk

for cardiovascular problems should avoid unfiltered coffee.

This study is published in the Feb. 1 American Journal of Clinical

Nutrition.