Is it okay to drink Americano while on a diet? | Yon Korean Medicine Clinic Yeon's Talk Talk

Yon's Talk

Is it okay to drink
Americano while
on a diet?

Hello! This is Dr. Hong Ji-yeon from Yon Oriental Clinic.

I frequently get asked this question by patients on a diet: "Doctor! It's fine to drink Americano while dieting, right?" They often assume that a cup of brewed coffee won't be a problem.

If you don't have issues with blood cholesterol levels, have healthy blood vessels, and are not particularly sensitive to caffeine, it doesn't matter much. However, if you need to be mindful of your cardiovascular health or cholesterol, it's better to be cautious or cut down on your intake!

Check Point

What is the relationship
between coffee, cholesterol,
and vascular health?

The brewed coffee we drink is made by roasting and grinding coffee beans, then brewing them with hot water. Coffee beans are the seeds of the coffee cherry. Just as all seeds contain oil, coffee beans also contain about 9g to 17g of fat per 100g of raw beans.

During the high-temperature roasting process, a substance called 'cafestol' is produced from the oils. When roasted beans are ground and brewed with hot water, this cafestol is extracted along with the coffee. Many studies have shown that this cafestol raises blood cholesterol levels, specifically LDL levels.

A research team at Baylor College of Medicine even mentioned that 'cafestol is the most potent cholesterol-elevating compound known.' Therefore, if you need to be careful about your cardiovascular health, I recommend avoiding it if possible or trying the healthy consumption methods suggested below.

Healthy Habit

4 ways to drink
coffee healthily

We provide safe extraction methods
to avoid the effects of cafestol.

POINT 01

Paper Filter Drip Coffee

Brewing coffee using a drip method with dense paper filters that don't produce crema filters out cafestol, helping you avoid cholesterol risks.

POINT 02

Skim off the Crema

The golden crema from an espresso machine is a concentration of coffee oil, known as cafestol. I recommend skimming off the crema when drinking coffee from franchises or capsule machines.

POINT 03

Use Dutch Coffee

Since Dutch coffee is extracted slowly at room temperature using a ceramic filter instead of high temperature and pressure, there is less chance of cafestol extraction, making it relatively safer.

POINT 04

Instant Granulated Coffee

Cafestol is completely removed during the freeze-drying process, so you don't need to worry. However, please avoid coffee mixes with added sugar and creamer for the sake of your diet and health!

Roasting Tip

Light roasting for
antioxidant effects

The antioxidant effect often cited as a benefit of coffee
is due to 'polyphenols'.
Check the characteristics of different roasting levels to make your choice.

It is best to weigh the pros and cons carefully
to find the coffee that suits you best.

Light Roasting

Research suggests that light roasting preserves the most polyphenols, which are antioxidant compounds. This is the recommended method if your focus is on antioxidants.

Consider issues like carcinogens

Since there are issues regarding trace carcinogenic components such as benzopyrene in dark roasts and acrylamide in light roasts, please consider all the facts comprehensively before deciding.

Summary

Dieters and Coffee,
A Comprehensive Summary

Summary 01

Cafestol compounds can
raise cholesterol levels.

Summary 02

Drip coffee using paper filters
is recommended.

Summary 03

When drinking machine-extracted coffee,
skim off the crema.

Summary 04

Dutch/Instant coffee are
relatively free from cafestol.