Cafestol and kahweol concentrations in workplace machine coffee compared with conventional brewing methods

Area of Science:

• Food Science
• Analytical Chemistry
• Cardiovascular Health

Background:

• Unfiltered coffee is rich in cholesterol-raising diterpenes, specifically cafestol and kahweol.
• These compounds can significantly impact plasma lipid concentrations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To quantify the levels of cafestol and kahweol in coffee prepared using various machine types commonly found in workplaces.
• To compare these levels with home-brewed coffee and assess potential cardiovascular health implications.

Main Methods:

• Coffee samples were collected from Swedish workplaces and home settings.
• Concentrations of cafestol and kahweol were determined using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry.
• Different brewing methods were analyzed, including machine brews, boiled coffee, fabric-filtered coffee, paper-filtered coffee, French press, and espresso.

Main Results:

• Machine-brewed coffee exhibited median cafestol and kahweol concentrations of 176 mg/L and 142 mg/L, respectively.
• Liquid-model machines showed lower levels (8 mg/L cafestol, 7 mg/L kahweol), while paper-filtered coffee had minimal amounts (12 mg/L cafestol, 8 mg/L kahweol).
• Boiled coffee had very high concentrations (939 mg/L cafestol, 678 mg/L kahweol), significantly reduced by fabric filtration (28 mg/L cafestol, 21 mg/L kahweol). Espresso samples showed high variability, with some exceeding 2447 mg/L cafestol.

Conclusions:

• Coffee from workplace brewing machines generally contains higher diterpene levels than paper-filtered coffee but less than unfiltered coffee.
• Insufficient filtration of coffee in workplace settings may be a contributing, overlooked factor to adverse cardiovascular health outcomes.
• Monitoring diterpene content in workplace coffee could be important for public health initiatives.