A new study revealed that harmful compounds such as cafestol and kahweol in coffee consumed at the workplace can increase LDL cholesterol and the risk of heart disease. Researchers found that metal filters in office coffee machines are less effective in removing these compounds compared to paper filters, potentially impacting heart health. All you need at work to stimulate your creative thoughts is a relaxing cup of coffee. But what if your favorite drink silently increases the risk of a heart attack? A surprising new study found that coffee consumed in the workplace contains known harmful compounds that raise bad (LDL) cholesterol levels compared to coffees consumed elsewhere. Drinking this coffee daily can jeopardize your heart health. Curious about how?The reason why coffee consumed at the office is unhealthier than coffee consumed at home may be due to a different filtering process used. Swedish researchers analyzed coffee samples from 14 workplace machines and discovered that office coffee could have higher levels of harmful compounds known to increase LDL cholesterol, such as cafestol and kahweol, compared to coffee brewed at home or elsewhere. High cholesterol levels are a known risk factor for heart disease.David Iggman, the lead researcher at Uppsala University, said that the filtering process could affect the presence of these cholesterol-raising substances in the coffee. “Honestly, not all coffee machines can filter them out,” he said. “However, the issue varies between different types of coffee machines, and the concentrations also showed significant differences over time.”For the study, 14 machines were tested, with 11 being brewing machines and three being liquid model machines. Ground coffee from five common brands of medium and dark roast coffees was brewed, and two coffee samples were taken from each machine every two to three weeks. While paper filters appear more effective at keeping out the harmful cholesterol-raising compounds cafestol and kahweol, the metal filters commonly found in office machines seem to allow them to pass through. It is a known fact that unfiltered coffee is more likely to raise bad cholesterol levels compared to filtered coffee, instant coffee, and coffee capsules.High LDL cholesterol can contribute to plaque buildup in your arteries, leading to coronary artery disease, cerebrovascular disease, peripheral artery disease, and aortic aneurysms. Swedish researchers stated that reducing 1 millimole of LDL cholesterol per liter could lead to a 22% relative risk reduction in heart disease, resulting in a 54% reduction in risk over the standard employment period of 40 years.Coffee has many health benefits. A study published in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology found that people who consume two to three cups of coffee a day have a lower risk of cardiovascular disease and premature death compared to non-drinkers. According to Johns Hopkins Medicine, drinking one to two cups of coffee a day can help prevent heart failure, where a weakened heart has difficulty pumping enough blood to the body.Morning consumption of two or three cups of coffee has been linked to a lower risk of early death compared to no coffee consumption. However, there are pitfalls to drinking coffee because when consumed in excess, it can cause sudden spikes in blood pressure and anxiety. A study published in the open-access, peer-reviewed Journal of the American Heart Association from the American Heart Association found that consuming two or more cups of coffee a day could double the risk of death from cardiovascular disease in individuals with severe high blood pressure (160/100 mm Hg or higher), but it could eliminate this risk in individuals with high blood pressure not classified as severe.