Coffee article Health
Why Would You Put Butter in Your Coffee?
I love drinking black coffee in the morning and in the late afternoon when things get a little slow
and I find myself yawning over a task I need to finish. But I also enjoy coffee from Starbucks and
other local coffee shops. I enjoy the occasional whipped cream and chocolate syrup over my
cup of cappuccino. I allow myself to enjoy some sugar rush once in a while.
I believe that drinking coffee is always a matter of personal preference. Coffee lovers want their
coffee differently. Some like it regular, just coffee plus two sugars and a cream. Others love the
fancy types that cover the menu of popular coffee shops. Still, others enjoy coffee at its finest,
either black or espresso.
A few years ago, there had been a commotion about adding butter in coffee. Have you tried it?
Let’s take a look at the popularity of butter coffee and its associated benefits.
The story behind butter in coffee
Butter in coffee? It sounds oily and greasy. Not to mention that coffee has natural oils already.
However, the concept of adding butter in coffee was popularized by Bulletproof Executive and
founder, Dave Asprey. It was an instant hit among Paleo eaters. At the same time, integrative
physician Dr. Jeffrey Gladd, New York chef Seamus Mullen and Gwyneth Paltrow’s chef Ariane
Resnick love the idea of using butter in their cup of coffee.
However, it is not your ordinary butter or coffee. Asprey got the inspiration from the yak butter
tea, a traditional Tibetan drink. He optimized the recipe and created a version that would replace
tea with America’s favorite morning drink, coffee. He suggested that the best coffee should be
organic, the butter should be unsalted grass-fed like Kerrygold or ghee and MCT (mediumchain
tryglycerides) oil, the kind of oil extracted from coconut oil. Blend it all together and create a
frothy, latte-like consistency.
When I’ve made it [the drink] with the MCT oil, it was like a kick in the pants in terms of energy”.,
Stephanie Gaudreau, health coach-founder of Stupid Easy Paleo
It’s like rocket fuel! - Dr. Jeffrey Gladd
Dave Asprey and Bulletproof Coffee
Bulletproof coffee had been synonymous to butter coffee and has been the standard in terms of
making butter coffee at home. Asprey talked about butter coffee extensively during an interview
with Fox News. He related how he discovered the benefit of butter in coffee and shared the
recipe in making butter coffee at home.
Asprey explained that the best kind of butter coffee uses MCT. While caffeine in coffee is a
good boost for the body, you can eventually crash when the caffeine effect wanes off after a few
hours. With the use of butter in coffee, this initial buzz is extended so you can get the maximum
benefit from every cup of coffee.
According to Asprey, normal coffee tends to give you food cravings and your body consumes
the caffeine quickly. After a couple of hours, you start to feel the “crash”. But with butter coffee,
it gives you more boost over normal coffee. This is due to the presence of MCT oil. The body
digests this kind of oil quickly and uses the energy. It also helps in weight loss because it curbs
your appetite.
MCT oil and low-toxin coffee are perfect combination to turn off your food cravings and provide
you with micronutrients. Additionally, it helps turn off the inflammations in the brain.
Asprey also suggests that grass-fed, unsalted butter is better than your regular household
butter. So, do not just throw in a chuck of butter in your coffee. You need to know the right
ingredients to make butter coffee and benefit from it.
If you are worried that your coffee will taste like ghee, no. Asprey said that it would be the
“creamiest latte” you have ever tried.
The practice of putting butter in coffee is not new. In fact, for generations, Tibetans have been
using yak butter in their tea. Even if you had given up drinking coffee, Asprey said that butter
coffee will give you beneficial health results.
Butter coffee lovers have grown to over 3 million and most of them are Paleo enthusiasts.
7 Healthy Reasons to Add Butter in Your Coffee
Coffee alone is already healthy and beneficial. However, there are some ingredients, like butter,
that can increase and maximize coffee’s health benefits.
It’s a better alternative to sugar and cream.
Adding butter in your coffee gives it a creamy, latte-like texture. You can say goodbye to sugar
and cream and still get the same creamy coffee without the sugar rush. That’s about 17 mg of
sugar freedom compared to a grand latte from Starbucks. Plus, you know that sugar can lead to
obesity, dental problems like cavity and tooth decay, as well as diabetes and liver disease.
Rich in Omega 3
Omega 3 fatty acids is an important compound that plays an essential role in the prevention and
treatment of coronary heart disease, arthritis, inflammation, cancer and hypertension.
Unfortunately, our bodies cannot produce this essential fatty acid. We can only get it from foods
we eat. Therefore, it is important that our daily diet consists of good sources of Omega 3 fats.
Aside from deep-sea fish, grass-fed, unsalted butter provide you with the needed boost of
Omega 3 fatty acids and Omega 6. The combination of these two fatty acids takes good care of
your. And since you cannot really add deep-sea fish in your coffee, opt for butter coffee if you
want your morning drink to be boosted and optimized for your health.
Good source of vitamin K
Known as ‘the forgotten vitamin’ as it is so often overlooked, Vitamin K helps in blood clotting
and keeping the bones strong into old age. Vitamin K is found in leafy green vegetables, natto –
a type of fermented soy bean, blueberries and grass-fed animal products, such as butter.
Helps in weight management
Conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) has long been touted as a ‘miracle’ weight loss aid. In a 2004
study, a group of overweight women lost 9 percent body fat in just one year thanks to CLA
supplementation – without making any changes to their dietary or lifestyle habits. CLA is present
in grass-fed, unsalted butter. Not only does CLA burn belly fat, but it protects against cancer
and encourages muscle growth.
Curbs appetite and craving
Naturally, drinking black coffee alone won’t keep you full. However, when you add butter to your
coffee, you’ll be increasing its caloric and fat value – stopping hunger pangs kicking in. In fact,
fats are an important component of a healthy breakfast as they provide the most concentrated
source of energy and prolong emptying of the stomach after eating.
Reduces caffeine sensitivity
A lot of people complain about coffee, saying it’s too acidic for them. They feel a jittery
sensation especially if they take coffee on an empty stomach. Adding butter to your coffee can
reduce this sensation since the fatty acid acts as a lining in your stomach and protects you from
shake and nausea.
Increases energy levels
While we all know that coffee alone provides a quick energy boost, this can often be short-lived.
But adding butter to your drink can provide more sustained energy as fat is the most energy
dense macronutrient.
If you have not tried butter coffee yet, give it a go. Remember, do not use just any kind of butter.
It must be grass-fed and unsalted, the kind of organic butter. Also, choose a quality type of
coffee, preferably organic/gourmet so you can achieve the best results if you want to replicate
Asprey’s bulletproof coffee.