By Karen Collins, MS, RD, CDN
American Institute for Cancer Research

Q: Can unfiltered coffee raise cholesterol. Does that include espresso, cappuccino and latte?

A: Espresso is an example of unfiltered coffee, but other kinds of unfiltered coffee seem to pose much more problems for blood cholesterol.

Research suggests the cholesterol-raising culprits in coffee are two of its natural compounds: kahweol and cafestol.

Scandinavian-style “boiled coffee” and Turkish-style coffee both heat ground coffee with water in a pot, let the grounds settle and then pour off the liquid to drink. In contrast, espresso is made by forcing hot water under pressure through finely ground coffee; the water remains in contact with the coffee grounds only briefly. Cappuccino and latte are espresso drinks with milk added.

One study shows that boiled-style coffees contain five to seven times as much kahweol and cafestol as espresso. That would explain why research is not nearly as consistent in linking blood cholesterol elevations with espresso as it is with boiled coffee.

Coffee brewed in a coffee press, or a “French press,” also keeps the grounds and water in contact while brewing and thus, has high levels of the two compounds and may also raise cholesterol.

Paper coffee filters remove virtually all kahweol and cafestol from drip-brewed coffee drinks.

Q: Is it true that ketchup supplies lycopene, just like tomatoes?

A: Lycopene is a natural antioxidant found in tomatoes that seems to help lower risk of cancer as do many other compounds from vegetables, fruits and whole grains. Because ketchup is made from tomatoes, ketchup also supplies lycopene and in a highly available form.

But usually our ketchup portions are not large enough to provide the amount that we would get from tomato sauce, tomato soup or tomato juice. One tablespoon of ketchup provides 2.9 milligrams of lycopene. That’s helpful, but foods we eat in larger portions can provide much more: a half cup of tomato sauce provides about 19 milligrams and one cup of tomato juice provides about 23 milligrams, for example.

If you eat large amounts of ketchup, of course you will get more lycopene. But keep in mind that sugar and salt consumption also rises as you boost your ketchup portion. If you had seven tablespoons, or almost half a cup, of ketchup, you would get as much lycopene as in a half cup of tomato sauce and cup of juice, but you’d also be getting half a day’s worth of sodium and about six teaspoons of sugar.

Tomato juice and sauce can also provide quite a bit of sodium, if you don’t get the reduced-sodium varieties, but even they wouldn’t provide that much.

Q: Are brown eggs more nutritious than white eggs?

A: The breed of hen that lays an egg determines the color of its shell. White hens lay white eggs and dark hens lay brown eggs. Shell color has nothing to do with egg quality, flavor, nutritional value or cooking characteristics.

Check these out!

•  Balanced Eating Blog—Nubella registered dietitian Theresa Stahl keeps you up-to-date with nutrition news and recipes.

•  Coffee: Not So Controversial Any More?

•  Good Cup, Bad Cup

•  Go Red in Your Healthy Eating

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Nubella News, a division of Marketing Technology Solutions, Inc., offers content intended for informational purposes only. It is not a substitute for medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. We encourage our readers to seek prompt medical care for health issues and consult their physicians before starting a new diet, fitness regimen, or medical treatment.