Abstract:
Background: Globally, coffee is one of the most consumed beverages and recently, it has been a target of researchers to understand its effect on human health whether good or bad. Even though there is controversy on
coffee consumption effect in cardiovascular diseases, several reports pointed out that coffee has a positive effect
on the occurrence and progression of chronic non-communicable diseases including cardiovascular diseases.
However, the impact of Ethiopian coffee Arabica consumption on cardiovascular diseases has not been well
investigated thoroughly.
Objective: The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of habitual consumption of Ethiopian Arabica
coffee on the risk of cardiovascular diseases among non-diabetic individuals in Addis Ababa.
Materials and methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in 70 healthy individuals in Addis Ababa. The
participants were 35 coffee drinkers (16 males; 19 females) and 35 non-drinkers (15 males; 20 females). Coffee
consumption and demographic data were obtained by using questionnaires. Anthropometric measurements were
measured according to World Health Organization standards. Blood samples were collected by trained laboratory
technicians through aseptic and sterile techniques for the analysis of biochemical parameters. Serum was separated via centrifugation and transported to Addis Ababa University, College of Health Sciences, Biochemistry
laboratory with an ice pack for analysis or stored at -80 C. Results were compared between coffee consumers and
non -consumers using appropriate statistical parameter.
Result: The main finding of this study was that consumption of Ethiopian origin Arabica coffee leads to a significant increase in serum free fatty acids (FFAs) and high density lipoprotein (HDL) as well as a significant
decrease in triacylglycerides (TAGs) but has no significant effect in both total cholesterol (TC) and low density
lipoprotein (LDL). The magnitude of the effect is similar in both sexes.
Conclusion: The present study demonstrated that Ethiopian coffee Arabica consumption significantly affected most
serum lipid levels and so it may be possible to say it has a protective effect against risks of cardiovascular diseases
(CVDs). However, the correlations between coffee consumption habits and serum lipid levels require further
investigation through experimental and epidemiological studies with larger sample size, including different age
groups and nutritional habits.
