Tip of the week: How to make your coffee healthier

Use paper filters. Unfiltered coffee contains a substance called cafestol that can raise cholesterol levels in the blood—by 8 percent if you drink French-press coffee for four weeks. Mesh filters remove some cafestol, but paper filters or K-Cups are better.

Choose dark roasts. Dark coffees deliver strong taste but are apparently gentler on your stomach than lighter roasts. This is because coffee beans that have been roasted longer contain higher levels of a compound that slows the stomach’s production of an irritating acid. “Another plus: Dark roasts tend to contain lower amounts of caffeine.”

Know your limit. Don’t assume that a coffee with dinner won’t keep you up late. Caffeine’s half-life in adults—the time it takes for just one half of the stimulant to leave the body—can range from four hours to seven in different individuals.

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Source: O, The Oprah Magazine