The effects of coffee consumption on serum lipids and lipoprotein in healthy individuals

Abstract

The changes in total scrum cholesterol, scrum triglyceride, HDL-cholesterol and LDL- cholesteroI after twenty eight (28) days of consumption of moderate quantity of a commercial coiTec preparation (NESCAFE brand) were studied in 30 human subjects consisting of 20 male and 10 female healthy adults Significant increases in the mean total scrum cholesterol concentration (110.8-126.5<ng/lOOmls) and LDL- cholesterol concentration (78.4-94.5mg/100ml) were observed in the subjects. No significant differences were obtained in the mean HDL cholesterol concentration and in the mean scrum triglyceride levels. The differences observed in the mean total scrum cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, HDL- cholesterol and triglyceride concentrations in the individual male and female groups studied were not statistically significant. The results from this study suggest that short-term consumption of coffee may increase the total serum cholesterol and LDL cholesterol levels. It is therefore possible that long term consumption of coffee may lead to clinically significant alterations in serum lipid profile and could be important in the aetiology of atherosclerotic vascular diseases such as coronary heart disease.