Coffee and tea consumption, dietary fat intake and serum cholesterol concentration of Finnish men and women

The association between the consumption of coffee and tea and serum cholesterol concentration was studied in a population sample of 653 men and 695 women from east and south-west Finland. Cholesterol and high density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol were determined from fresh serum samples. Smoking and the intake of coffee, tea and alcohol were assessed by a questionnaire, and nutrient intake was determined from 3-day food records. Serum cholesterol and non-HDL cholesterol showed a positive and linear association with coffee consumption in men. In women, no such significant linear association was evident, although the highest mean serum cholesterol levels were found in subjects consuming seven to nine cups of coffee daily. Both in men and in women coffee consumption was positively associated with smoking and the intake of saturated and monounsaturated fatty acids and cholesterol. Serum cholesterol values, adjusted for age, body mass index, smoking, dietary cholesterol, fatty acids, alcohol and physical activity, showed a significant linear association with coffee consumption in men but not in women. Although coffee consumption and high intake of saturated fatty acids and cholesterol were related both in men and in women, adjustment for dietary and other confounding factors did not remove the association between coffee consumption and serum cholesterol concentration in men.