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Joan Stephenson, PhD

JAMA. 2001;286:1704.

	Since this article does not have an abstract, we have provided the first 150 words of the full text and any section headings.

Coffee lovers who quit drinking caffeinated filtered coffee reduce their blood levels of homocysteine and cholesterol, according to a new study by researchers from Ullevål University Hospital and the University of Oslo, Norway (Am J Clin Nutr. 2001;74:302-307).

Scientists have long debated whether coffee increases the risk of heart disease. The implications of previous research that found that a very high intake of boiled (unfiltered) coffee increases these heart-unfriendly substances were unclear for people who consume filtered coffee, because unfiltered coffee contains larger amounts of the organic compounds found in coffee grounds, including terpenoids, which are known to boost cholesterol levels.

In the randomized controlled trial, 191 healthy, nonsmoking coffee drinkers were randomly assigned to three groups: one group drank no coffee, a second drank 1 to 3 daily cups of coffee, and the third group consumed more than 4 daily cups.

Blood levels of these . . . [Full Text of this Article]