What are the preventive benefits of drinking coffee with butter?
Dr. Arega Nigussie (Walden Alumni Ambassador Network)
Educational Consultant | Curriculum, Instruction, Assessment
By Dina Dorman
In communities in southern Ethiopia, much praise has been given to Kalha Buni (coffee mixed with butter) and its potential magical powers. However, in the so-called modern society, coffee is not encouraged as a healthy food component and is preferred to be drunk in its pure form. Coffee is often mistakenly associated with heart disease in Ethiopia.
The experts at Paleo Diet Recipes, Information, and Tips explain that Bulletproof Coffee (BPC) is made by blending high-quality coffee with grass-fed cow, goat, and camel butter and medium-chain triglyceride (MCT) oil at high speed in a blender. This coffee and butter blend is a frothy coffee that gives you energy throughout the day and helps burn fat.
This may sound strange, but putting butter in coffee is common in other parts of the world.
Although there is little scientific evaluation of its benefits, Ethiopians have been enjoying coffee butter for centuries, and in Tibet, yak butter tea, or Tibetan tea, is a popular traditional drink.
Why is Bulletproof Coffee so famous?
Proponents of Bulletproof Coffee claim it improves energy, mood, productivity, and overall health. They say it's more satisfying and hunger-killing than regular old coffee. "Bulletproof coffee is a great way to get healthy fats first thing in the morning," says Kerry Bajaj, health coach at Eleven Eleven Wellness Center in New York City. Healthy fats in the morning signal your body to burn energy for the day. Starting the day with healthy fats provides energy, is suitable for cognitive function, and supports our hormonal system.
BPC is a great way to get calories and boost your metabolism in the morning if you don't usually eat breakfast. The combination of caffeine and fat can provide an energy boost that lasts for hours, and BPC drinkers say they don't get the jitters from BPC that some do from regular coffee. This may be because fat digestion slows down the absorption of caffeine.
The fats in BPC are some of the healthiest fats our bodies need, and they're among the fats most Americans lack in their diets. Butter from grass-fed cows is healthier than conventionally raised cows because grass-fed cows provide the right amount of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids.
Medium-chain triglycerides also increase BPC demand. MTCs are a particular type of fat absorbed into our bloodstream and sent directly to our liver for energy before being digested, absorbed, and then stored in our cells. MTCs improve body composition, help the body burn more calories than other fat sources, and even help control cholesterol levels.
Is Bulletproof Coffee the magic drink to help you reach your health and fitness goals?
For all the information about the benefits of BPC, there is much debate about how beneficial it can be. Some experts say that despite the health benefits of BPC, there are many downsides. Let's look at some other aspects of the story.
Is coffee good or bad? There are many conflicting studies about coffee. Much has to do with how much coffee is being drunk rather than the coffee itself.
Benefits of Coffee
Regular coffee consumption of 1 to 3 cups per day was consistently associated with lower risk of:
· Diabetes
· Alzheimer's
· Parkinson's
· Many types of cancer, including breast, prostate, colon, and liver cancers
· Coffee and caffeine are also widely known performance and brain boosters.
Disadvantages of coffee
Excessive coffee consumption: Usually, drinking more than 3 cups per day is associated with:
· High risk of miscarriage
· Disturbed sleep
· Worsened PMS symptoms
· Increased blood pressure
So, there are clear benefits to keeping your coffee intake in a healthy amount, which is a win for coffee butter (BPC) drinkers.
Calories
The benefits of healthy fats found in BPC have disadvantages compared to excess fat and calories.
So when you add butter and MCTs to your coffee, you add calories. A serving of 2 cups (470 mL) of coffee, 2 tablespoons (28 grams) of grassfed, unsalted butter, and 1-2 tablespoons (15-30 mL) of MCT oil is enough for a total of 450 calories and 52 grams of dietary fat. However, the amount of butter and MCT oil provides health benefits with the required amount of calories.
Regarding fat content, we know that a moderate amount of saturated fat has many benefits, but that doesn't mean a whole day's worth or more is the best option for most people to lose weight.
If you treat BPC as a "meal replacement" or "mini-meal" — in other words, the extra calories aren't a concern if you prefer it over breakfast. But, keep in mind: you may want to reduce your fat intake at other meals, and be sure to eat plenty of protein, fruits, and vegetables to balance your nutrients throughout the day.
Medium-chain triglyceride oil
MCT oil is produced by machinery to separate medium-chain fatty acids from other oils (typically a combination of coconut oil and palm oil). Fatty acids are "fractionated" in an industrial process. It's no wonder why people want to take good MCTs. But are there better ways to get MCTs? Coconut oil is the richest in natural MCTs, about 15% of total fat. MCT oil is highly concentrated. But that doesn't mean it's "healthy." Coconut oil and other food sources of MCTs have benefits beyond their MCT content, such as the antibacterial properties found in coconut oil. So, of course, the consumer feels better about getting their nutrition from whole foods rather than supplements.
The best way to enjoy bulletproof coffee (coffee with butter).
Whether you feel like BPC is something you want to incorporate into your daily routine or want to try, here are some tips to make things as healthy as possible. To enjoy all the benefits of drinking coffee, limit it to less than 3 cups daily and avoid the fallout. Treat BPC as a "meal replacement," Eat nutrient-dense foods and protein in your other meals throughout the day with breakfast. Consider adding a small amount of butter and MCTs to reduce overall calorie and fat content.
When you first start BPC, start with less fat and work your way in slowly - increasing fat too quickly can sometimes cause stomach problems, so you may find yourself running to the bathroom too quickly.
Bulletproof coffee recipe
One service is provided
1 cup of high-quality, organic coffee
1-2 tablespoons of MCT oil
1-2 tablespoons of grass-fed butter