However, if you’re committed to maximizing the health benefits of your cup of joe, listen up: On a recent episode of the mindbodygreen podcast, metabolic health expert Alexis Cowan, Ph.D., shared one tip you probably haven’t heard of before—and neither had we. Her advice? You should probably stick to a filtered brew. So which one is healthier, you might wonder? Cowan mentions this 2020 investigational study1 that set out to determine if coffee brewing methods had anything to do with longevity and overall health. To sum it up: Filtered coffee came out on top. “The individuals who drank unfiltered coffee had higher mortality rates and higher incidences of cardiovascular illness compared to people who didn’t drink coffee or drank filtered coffee,” Cowan says. This is because the paper filter catches various potentially problematic molecules that, if consumed, can lead to oxidative stress and inflammation. Researchers theorize these can drive up mortality risk and cardiovascular illness over time. That being said, switching your coffee preparation likely isn’t going to make or break your heart health. It falls below the American Heart Association’s Life’s Simple 7 list of the most important factors for heart health (stop smoking, eat nutritious food, get active, maintain a healthy weight, manage blood pressure, control cholesterol, and reduce blood sugar). Even sleep duration has recently been added to the list. So, yes, French press coffee is technically less healthy than filtered coffee, but it’s certainly not the main indicator of a healthy heart. If you’d like to enjoy the healthiest cup of joe, then you might want to opt for a filtered option. But if you adore a piping mug of French press? Please, carry on.
