Myth 4: Only certain types of coffee are good for you

Social media posts often claim that only freshly ground, lightly roasted or ‘clean’ coffee has health benefits, and that instant and decaf are pointless.

A study of almost 450,000 UK Biobank participants found that ground, instant and decaffeinated coffee were all linked to lower rates of cardiovascular disease and death, with the greatest benefit seen at two to three cups a day.

The way in which coffee is brewed does matter for cholesterol, however. In a Norwegian study of more than 500,000 adults, filtered coffee was linked to lower death rates than unfiltered coffee.

Unfiltered coffee, such as cafetière, boiled or Turkish coffee, contains natural oils called diterpenes (cafestol and kahweol), which can raise LDL (‘bad’) cholesterol, but a paper filter traps most of these.

The verdict: Instant, ground and decaf coffee all appear to offer benefits, but customers who have raised cholesterol may be better choosing filtered coffee rather than cafetière or boiled coffee.