14 Coffee Choices to Sip and Skip for Better Cholesterol

Your coffee habit can give your cholesterol level a jolt. Although the drink itself doesn’t have cholesterol, it contains natural chemicals called cafestol and kahweol that can raise your cholesterol level. This effect depends on how much coffee you sip and how you brew and serve it. With a few smart moves, you can enjoy your morning mug without the unwanted side effects.

Like your coffee sweet? When you get too much sugar, your liver makes more LDL, or “bad,” cholesterol and less “good” HDL cholesterol. Artificial sweeteners don’t have the same effect but may trigger harmful inflammation. Better options include natural low-calorie sweeteners like monk fruit, stevia, and allulose, which are generally safe. Or, add antioxidant-rich honey, which research shows can improve your cholesterol. Limit it to one spoonful; a tablespoon of honey packs in 64 calories.

Dairy products make your coffee deliciously creamy. But they also add saturated fat, which is a bigger driver of LDL cholesterol than the cholesterol found in foods. Choose skim or low-fat milk instead of whole milk or cream. Per cup, skim milk has the least amount of saturated fat and cholesterol (0 grams and 5 milligrams), followed by low-fat milk (1.5 grams and 10 milligrams), whole milk (5 grams and 24 milligrams), and cream (25 grams and 142 milligrams). Plant-based milks, such as soy, oat, and almond, are low-fat options. Skip coconut milk, which packs 19 grams of saturated fat per cup.

Paper and cloth filters trap the cholesterol-raising substances (cafestol and kahweol), which are found in coffee’s natural oils. They’re removed during the brewing process. Unfiltered coffee, such as espresso, French press, and Turkish coffee, allows these compounds to pass right into your drink.

Cold brew is filtered, so it’s low in coffee’s cholesterol-raising compounds. For the healthiest drink, order it unsweetened and black. Many cold brews are made with milk or cream and a heavy dose of sugar. For example, a 16-ounce serving of Starbucks Vanilla Sweet Cream Cold Brew contains 14 grams of sugar, 3.5 grams of saturated fat, and 15 milligrams of cholesterol. You can add a splash of non-fat or low-fat milk, or almond, soy, or oat milk.

If you’re in the mood for an espresso drink, order an Americano. It’s made with espresso and hot water. This simplicity makes it naturally low in cholesterol-raising additions, such as added sugar and cream. To boost the flavor, add a little low-calorie sweetener, sugar-free syrup, or honey and a splash of nonfat or low-fat milk. Or swap in an unsweetened almond, oat, or soy milk.

Cappuccinos are made with equal parts espresso, steamed whole milk, and a frothy milk topping, so they’re loaded with milk. To trim some of the cholesterol-raising saturated fat, order your cappuccino dry. It’s made with more airy, frothed milk and less steamed milk, so you get the rich taste of espresso and foam with less milk. Or trade the whole milk for a nonfat or low-fat milk or a plant-based milk.

Lattes are mostly milk. They’re usually made with one part espresso and three parts steamed whole milk, so they’re high in saturated fat. Research shows that having a diet high in milk fat and butter can raise LDL cholesterol. Order your latte with nonfat milk, and you’ll save 5 grams of saturated fat per cup of milk. Or swap in soy, oat, or almond milk.

Popular in Australia and New Zealand, flat whites contain less milk and saturated fat than a latte. It contains a smaller amount of steamed milk and a thin layer of microfoam, so you get a rich espresso flavor and creamy texture. To cut the saturated fat even more, get it with nonfat or low-fat milk, or request almond, soy, or oat milk.

Flavored coffee concoctions, such as vanilla and pumpkin spice lattes, are loaded with sugar. A 16-ounce vanilla latte made with whole milk from Peet’s Coffee packs in 46 grams of sugar, 8 grams of saturated fat, and 55 milligrams of cholesterol. A smarter pick: Get the Skinny Vanilla Latte made with nonfat milk and sugar-free syrup. You’ll save 28 grams of sugar, 7.5 grams of saturated fat, and 50 milligrams of cholesterol.

Turkish and Greek coffees are made by heating finely ground coffee, water, and sugar. They’re not filtered, so they’re high in cholesterol-raising cafestrol and kahweol. A French press uses a metal filter to separate the grounds from the water. But the screen isn’t fine enough to trap cafestrol and kahweol, which are found in coffee’s natural oils. Instead, use coffee brewed with a paper filter, which removes nearly all of these compounds.

Made with white chocolate sauce and whipped cream, this drink is a sugary indulgence. At Starbucks, a 16-ounce white chocolate mocha packs in a whopping 46 grams of sugar, 11 grams of saturated fat, and 50 milligrams of cholesterol. For a lighter option, request the drink with nonfat milk, one or two pumps of mocha sauce, and skip the sweetened whipped cream.

Frappuccinos and other ice-blended drinks can pack in nearly as much sugar and saturated fat as a milkshake. Even a plain Frappuccino serves up 45 grams of sugar, 2 grams of saturated fat, and 10 milligrams of cholesterol. Specialty versions with whipped cream and syrup drizzles add even more: A caramel Frappuccino has 54 grams of sugar, 10 grams of saturated fat, and 50 milligrams of cholesterol.

Keto coffee is coffee blended with added fat, such as butter, heavy cream, or coconut oil. Also called Bulletproof coffee, it can contain MCT oil, a type of saturated fat. These drinks are meant to help you feel fuller and more energized. But a single cup can serve up nearly 16 grams of cholesterol-raising saturated fat — about the same amount as in a fast-food bacon cheeseburger.

Many workplace coffee machines use metal filters to brew coffee, so they’re high in cholesterol-raising compounds. One study found that these coffees had 176 milligrams per liter (mg/L) of cafestol compared to the 12 mg/L in a drip (paper-filtered) coffee. Single-pod coffee machines also don’t filter out all the chemicals. According to Nespresso, their coffees contain about the same amount of cafestol as espressos.