Millions of people across the UAE reach for a cup of coffee every morning without giving much thought to what it is doing inside their bodies. According to Dr Mansoor Anwar Habib, consultant in Family Medicine and Occupational Health, that daily habit could be doing far better than most people realise, provided three specific conditions are met.
“If you are coffee lovers and fans, I have good news for you,” Dr Habib said, explaining that coffee beans are rich in antioxidants that carry a range of protective effects on the cardiovascular system.
Recent research by American Heart Association has shown that regular coffee consumption is associated with reduced insulin resistance, a lower risk of arterial clots, protection of the artery walls, and a reduction in internal inflammation. These are not minor benefits; they are among the most significant markers of long-term heart health.
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But Dr Habib was equally clear that these benefits are not automatic. They depend entirely on how the coffee is consumed, and getting any one of the three conditions wrong is enough to cancel the protective effect entirely.
The daily amount matters as Dr Habib recommends between one and five cups per day, with five cups as the hard upper limit. Within that range, the body is able to absorb the beneficial compounds in coffee without tipping into excess.
The protective effects on the heart including a reduced risk of heart failure, stroke, and coronary disease have been observed consistently within this window. Going beyond five cups a day shifts the balance, and the cardiovascular benefit begins to reverse.
This is the condition that surprises most people, and it is the one Dr Habib considers the most medically significant. The coffee must be filtered through a paper filter not a metal one, and not by boiling.
“There are two types of filters: the metal filter and the paper filter,” Dr Habib explained. “What we mean by filtered coffee is the one where the paper filter is used. As for unfiltered coffee, we mean the coffee was prepared by boiling, or by using a metal filter. So these two, medically, are considered unfiltered.”
The distinction comes down to a compound called cafestol, which is found naturally in coffee’s oils. When coffee is boiled or strained through a metal filter, cafestol passes freely into the cup.
Once consumed, it raises levels of LDL cholesterol — the harmful kind in the bloodstream.
A paper filter physically traps cafestol before it reaches the cup, preserving all the antioxidant benefits while removing the lipid risk. In practical terms, this means that Turkish coffee, Arabic coffee, French press, and Moka pot preparations are all medically classified as unfiltered.
For people with already elevated cholesterol, Dr Habib advises reducing or eliminating these methods altogether. Paper-filtered methods, drip coffee machines, V60 and Chemex are the medically recommended choice.
The final condition is the simplest and the most ignored. The coffee must be drunk black. No sugar, no milk, no cream, no flavoured syrups, no sweetened additives of any kind.
The moment anything is added, the health benefits are undermined. Sugar spikes blood glucose and works directly against the insulin-sensitising properties of the coffee’s natural compounds. Milk and cream introduce saturated fats and calories that offset the cardiovascular gains. The research that links coffee to heart protection is based on plain, black coffee, not the sweetened, dairy-heavy drinks.
Who should be careful?
Dr Habib’s guidance is intended for generally healthy adults. Those with severe or uncontrolled high blood pressure should exercise caution, as caffeine can cause short-term spikes in blood pressure.
Patients who already have elevated LDL cholesterol should make the switch to paper-filtered coffee as a priority. And anyone with underlying heart conditions should consult their doctor before making changes to their daily intake.
Source: Khaleej Times