Choose your brew - French press coffee contains elevated homosysteine levels - Brief Article

Running & FitNews, May, 2000

If you favor your coffee made in those elegant French press coffeepots, it may be time to switch to a filtered method. A randomized, crossover trial comparing unfiltered coffee against other beverages like water, tea, and hot chocolate showed elevated homocysteine levels in the coffee group. Homocysteine has been shown to be a risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Unfiltered coffee also contains diterpenes, cholesterol-raising substances, which are removed when coffee is filtered. Your best bet would be to cultivate a taste for tea, especially green tea, which numerous studies have shown to have heart-healthy and cancer-preventing benefits. If you choose to stick with coffee, use a filtered method.

(American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 2000, Vol. 71, No. 2, pp. 480-484)