Butter coffee is a term used for brewed coffee that is blended with butter or MCT (medium chain triglycerides) oil.
The practice was introduced by Dave Asprey. He reportedly felt rejuvenated when he was served yak butter tea by locals after he hiked in Tibet at 18,000 feet in a minus 10-degree weather.
Benefits of Butter Coffee
Supporters of butter coffee report several benefits gained from daily intake of this one-of-a-kind beverage, such as the following:
Fat Loss
The biggest and most popular benefit from butter coffee is fat loss. Some experts believe that MCT in butter helps in losing adipose or fatty tissues in the body.
More Energy
Those who take butter coffee report having more energy to perform daily functions. This is because of the MCT added, which many studies have found to be a good quick source of energy.
MCTs are oxidized by the body rapidly, which leads to the increase in the energy expenditure. It is also absorbed differently by the body compared to other forms of fats, such as the LCFA or long chain fatty acids.
How Butter Coffee Works
According to the proponent, Dave Asprey, each ingredient plays important roles in achieving the many benefits.
Coffee
There are many conflicting studies about the health benefits of coffee.
The caffeine content in ordinary coffee gives a good boost, which is why lots of people take it for breakfast. It helps to jumpstart the day with increased energy, better concentration and improved focus.
However, most coffee in the market contains toxins. The toxins can come anywhere from the many processes that the coffee beans pass through. It may come from pesticides, insecticides and chemical fertilizers used during the growing of the coffee plant. Or, from the preservatives and other chemicals during the harvest, transport, roasting, and manufacturing processes that the coffee beans may undergo.
Also, plain coffee would provide the desired buzz for a limited time. On the average, the boost would only last for 2 hours. Afterwards, one would generally feel the craving, crash and tiredness. Anyone used to having coffee for breakfast would be familiar with the 10:30 AM crash. By adding the other ingredients, i.e., MCT oil and butter, these won’t likely happen.
MCT
Medium chain triglycerides used in butter coffee comes from a special blend of palm oil and coconut oil. MCT behaves more like carbohydrates than oil in the body. It is quickly metabolized and turned into readily usable energy. This is also responsible for the weight loss that a lot of practitioners report to achieve.
Butter
Blending butter into coffee and MCT oil helps to address cravings. When the energy crashes as the effect of caffeine wanes, cravings start and maybe difficult to control. Micronutrients in butter help to supply energy and nutrition to the brain, turning off the cravings.
Also, there are some compounds in butter that can decrease inflammation that may be present in the brain. The type of butter is also important. Ordinary butter is often full of inflammatory compounds that can come from lots of sources.
Hormones and antibiotics given to most cows to improve growth and milk production can trigger inflammation in the body. Butter used in butter coffee should come from the milk of grass-fed cows, which were not treated with hormones and antibiotics.
Is Drinking Butter Coffee Good for You?
There are so many debates going on about the effectiveness of butter coffee, not only in terms of weight loss but also of its effects on health. Here are some of the pros and cons that have surfaced regarding this unique and rather odd beverage.
According to those who support the Butter Coffee Weight Loss Protocol, butter and MCT oil are the main factors that produce the health benefits.
In order to get the most benefits, only grass-fed butter is used. Otherwise, butter coffee would only pack in a huge amount of calories without any substantial benefit on health.
Omega-3 and Omega-6 in grass-fed butter
The fats in grass-fed butter are the healthy kind. It is believed to help in regulating the cholesterol levels in the body. It does not lead to higher cholesterol levels, like most people are led to believe.
In fact, grass-fed butter contains the best ratio of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids. This ratio is very important when consuming omega-6 and omega-3.
An average Western diet has too much omega-6 and too little of omega-3. Most people think that eating lots of omega-3 and/or omega-6 is enough to create a healthy lipid profile in the body. This isn’t the whole picture. Too much of either is bad for the health.
High intake of omega-6 leads to increased inflammatory conditions in the body. High omega-3 intake inhibits inflammation, which puts the body more prone to injuries and tissues damage.
Inflammation is not always bad. It has protective effects in the body, as long as it is controlled and localized. One should maintain a good balance of intake of these 2 fatty acids in order to get the health benefits. The recommended ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 in the daily intake is at 1:1 to 5:1. Higher ratios have been found to increase the risk for cancers, cardiovascular disease and autoimmune disorders.
Aside from improving inflammatory conditions, the fats in grass-fed butter are also special. These are biologically active. This means that the body has other uses for it besides as energy sources. These fats play important roles in different bodily processes such as blood clotting.
Other types of fats present in grass-fed butter
There are still other types of fats in grass-fed butter that has health benefits.
Some of them are used in building cell membranes, which is necessary in repair and replacement of damaged tissues, hormone synthesis and for growth.
One special kind of fat found in butter is butyrate, a short chain fatty acid. This fat was previously thought to be bad for the health. However, newer studies found that butyrate is linked to the prevention of degenerative diseases that affect the nervous system, such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.
This short chain fatty acid also increases the body’s energy expenditure and reduces inflammation. These characteristics help in further preventing the development of heart diseases.
Coconut oil
Coconut oil is added as an alternative to pure MCT oil. This does not contain significant amounts of omega-3 or omega-6, but is rich in medium chain fatty acids (MCFAs). It contains beneficial types of fats that can help boost the body’s immune system, metabolism, thyroid function and skin health.
MCT
MCT has health boosting, metabolic-raising and muscle building effects. In fact, lots of muscle builders and athletes are turning to MCT oil for quick energy boosts as well as aid in promoting endurance and muscle building.
Medium chain fatty acids behave very differently than other types of fats. It is metabolized by the body much like carbohydrates, but without the blood sugar raising and insulin-stimulating effects. MCT does not go through the long process of digestion. It is quickly converted by the body into readily usable energy, making it perfect as a quick energy source. It also does not affect the cholesterol and lipid profile of the body like long chain triglycerides do.
Better cognitive function
Caffeine boosts the mind’s functioning. However, the effect lasts only for a short while. By adding butter and MCT oil, the effect of caffeine is prolonged. Also, the compounds found in grass-fed butter and MCT oil enhances the brains functioning, making one more focused with better cognitive function. Also, the mood enhancing effects of the fats in butter helps in reducing stress. A relaxed mind and body work well together, achieving more and becoming more productive.
Butter coffee also helps the body in fat burning to produce ketones. These ketones are used by the body as energy to fuel different functions and processes. This is a better energy source for the brain than glucose from carbohydrates.
Weight loss
Aside from the beneficial effects of the different types of fats in butter and coconut oil in butter coffee, this concoction can also help in losing weight.
The fats help the body feel full and satiated longer, reducing the hunger. Grass-fed butter also contains the compounds CLA or conjugated linoleic acid. Studies have found that this compound can help in reducing the body fat mass. Overweight individuals can get the most benefit from CLA. Taking butter coffee in the morning packs in a lot of healthy calories. The energy from butter and the boost from coffee work together to stimulate fat burning that lasts for most of the day.
A cup of butter coffee in the morning, according to practitioners can replace an entire meal. The energy from the fats is a better energy source that leads to higher performance compared to glucose.
The body has to obtain much needed energy in order to perform and carry out its many homeostatic processes. In response to the deficit, the body prompts itself to seek for quick sources energy, leading to the cravings.
Once a person eats, the process starts all over again.
Cons of Drinking Butter Coffee
There are some disadvantages in taking butter coffee, too. These include the following:
Taking low-nutrient food
Butter coffee has energy that a person needs to get through most of the morning. A person does not feel hungry in the middle of the day, which reduces snacking. The feeling of fullness can often extend over to lunch hour, which leads to eating less amount of food.
In short, a person taking butter coffee to start the day feels less hungry throughout the day. For most people, a cup of butter coffee in the morning can replace a good breakfast meal. Butter coffee is not a complete meal, however. It has essentially just a few vitamins and antioxidants (from butter and coffee). A person has to take supplements in order to get the complete nutrients to ensure a healthy body.
Taste
Most people who tried butter coffee report that their coffee tastes better, creamier because of the added grass-fed butter. A few report it tasting awful. People have different tastes preferences and there is no getting around this fact. Also, some people do not like the greasy feel on their lips after they sip their coffee. However, placing coffee, butter and MCT oil in a powerful blender may improve the taste. The large fat droplets will be broke into tiny ones, which will reduce the oiliness of the beverage.