Dodge a bullet

The much-touted benefits of adding butter and oil to black coffee are not backed by evidence

- Jennifer Bowden

Question:

After recent blood tests, my GP told me I had high cholesterol and should review my diet. I'm an otherwise healthy 60-year-old, reasonably fit, light drinker, and eat healthily (very little red meat and no cheese). I immediately stopped my morning "bullet coffee". What is the current thinking on diet and cholesterol management?

Answer:

High cholesterol levels are linked to an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, so optimising your diet to lower your LDL level is an essential (bad cholesterol) preventive action for health.

Bullet coffees - black coffees made with butter and MCT oil - are marketed as a healthy beverage, but research suggests they may worsen cholesterol levels in some people.

High cholesterol is defined as having too much LDL (low-density lipoprotein) cholesterol, too little good HDL (high density lipoproteins) cholesterol, or both. So, the goal with dietary changes is to remove foods that increase LDL levels and add beneficial foods known to increase HDL cholesterol levels.