| TITLE: | Diterpenes from coffee beans decrease serum levels of lipoprotein(a) in humans: results from four randomised controlled trials. | ||||||
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| AUTHOR: | Urgert R; Weusten-van der Wouw MP; Hovenier R; Meyboom S; Beynen AC; Katan MB | ||||||
| AUTHOR AFFILIATION: | Agricultural University, Department of Human Nutrition, Wageningen, The Netherlands. | ||||||
| SOURCE: | Eur J Clin Nutr 1997 Jul;51(7):431-6 | ||||||
| NLM CIT. ID: | 97378395 | ||||||
| ABSTRACT: | OBJECTIVE: Unfiltered coffee raises serum LDL cholesterol in humans, owing to the presence of the diterpenes cafestol and kahweol. Norwegians with a chronic high intake of unfiltered coffee also has elevated serum levels of lipoprotein(a), an LDL-like particle which is insensitive toward dietary interventions. We now experimentally studied the influence of coffee diterpenes on lipoprotein(a) levels. DESIGN: Four randomised controlled trials. SUBJECTS: Healthy, normolipidemic volunteers. INTERVENTIONS: Coffee, coffee oil, and pure diterpenes for 4-24 weeks. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The circulating level of lipoprotein(a). RESULTS: In 22 subjects drinking five to six strong cups of cafetiere coffee per day, the median fall in lipoprotein(a) was 1.5 mg/dL after two months (P = 0.03), and 0.5 mg/dL after half a year (P > 0.05), relative to 24 filter coffee drinkers. Coffee oil doses equivalent to 10-20 cups of unfiltered coffee reduced lipoprotein(a) levels by up to 5.5 mg/dL (P < 0.05) in two separate trials (n = 12-16 per group). A purified mixture of cafestol and kahweol, as well as cafestol alone, were also effective in reducing Lp(a) levels (n = 10). Averaged over the four trials, each 10 mg/d of cafestol (plus kahweol)--the amount present in two to three cups of cafetiere coffee--decreased Lp(a) levels by 0.5 mg/dL or 4% from baseline values after four weeks (n = 63). CONCLUSIONS: Coffee diterpenes are among the few dietary exceptions shown to influence serum lipoprotein(a) levels. However, the Lp(a)-reducing potency of coffee diterpenes may subside in the long run, and their adverse side effects preclude their use as lipoprotein(a)-reducing agents. | ||||||
| MAIN MESH SUBJECTS: |
*Coffee Diterpenes/ADVERSE EFFECTS/*PHARMACOLOGY Lipoprotein(a)/*BLOOD/*DRUG EFFECTS | ||||||
| ADDITIONAL MESH SUBJECTS: |
Adult Female Human Lipids/METABOLISM Male Support, Non-U.S. Gov't | ||||||
| PUBLICATION TYPES: |
CLINICAL TRIAL JOURNAL ARTICLE RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL | ||||||
| LANGUAGE: | Eng | ||||||
| REGISTRY NUMBERS: |
0 (Diterpenes) 0 (Lipids) 0 (Lipoprotein(a)) 469-83-0 (cafestol) 6894-43-5 (kahweol) | ||||||