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Butter Coffee: Is it Good or Bad? A Commence Fitness Analysis, Southington, CT
Coffee, Butter, and MCT Oil: Why you Should Consider Having All Three For Breakfast
I bet most people who read this article would never have considered having a mixture of coffee, butter, and MCT oil in place of their morning breakfast. In this post, I will talk about this coffee concoction that is quickly growing in popularity, and explain why it may be worth your time. Trust me when I say your taste buds wont be disappointed!
First off, lets talk about coffee!
Coffee is one the most consumed beverage in the world. Coffee drinkers have been shown to be considerably less likely to develop type II diabetes, Parkinson's disease, and even possibly Alzheimer's diease. Most of the benefits that coffee instills are likely due to its antioxidant content as well as chlorogenic acid, a powerful component that is unique to coffee. Chlorogenic acid has been shown to aid in weight loss in a few different studies. The caffeine content in coffee has been shown to increase metabolic rate and improve athletic performance as well. Coffee is one of those rare things in life that is both enjoyable and, if used the right way, good for you. (For more info on this delicious drink, check out another post of mine, which you can find a link to below!).
Grass-fed butter – Not your average dairy product
There may be no other single food item that has been demonized as much as butter in the last half century. Butter has been referred to as artery clogging, heart disease promoting, and fattening. The truth is that butter is not nearly as bad as we were led to believe. Grass fed butter, which I would argue is its superior form, has in fact been put through many different clinical trials over the last 20 years. The results have been impressive. Saturated fat, which is the type of fat that is found in butter, has been shown to increase HDL cholesterol (the good kind) and change LDL cholesterol (the bad kind) to a more benign substance that is less likely to clog arteries. Sugar, junk carbohydrates, and processed foods are likely more responsible for many of the health problems that plague our society today. A few of the components in grass fed butter, such as Conjucted Linoleic Acid (CLA) and vitamin K2, have both shown to be beneficial when it comes to weight loss as well as reducing heart disease. An Australian study showed that those who ate the most high fat, grass fed dairy had a 69% reduction in death from cardiovascular disease. This study will be linked to on the bottom of the page. There have been many studies that show equal or even in some cases more impressive results as well. The bottom line is that butter really isn't bad for you. In fact, the opposite is more true, especially when it comes to grass fed butter.
What is MCT oil?
MCT stands for medium chain triglyceride. MCTs are fats that are easily digested. The fats in MCT oil are almost never stored in the body. Instead, they are rapidly used as a clean burning fuel source. This leads to what many describe as period of mental clarity, or an energy burst that doesn't end in a crash. An energy crash would likely be seen more often when dealing with sugar of caffeine. MCTs also tend to have a slightly thermogenic effect, which lends itself nicely to losing weight and improving one's metabolism. MCT oil has also been shown to have a positive effect on the gut microbiome. It can help kill off certain fungi, viruses, and harmful bacteria while fueling the healthy strands of bacteria that are essential to good health. When combined with the previously discussed ingredients, MCT oil gives the mixture a delicious, creamy consistency!
When you mix coffee, grass fed butter, and MCT oil, you end up with a product that is greater than the sum of its parts. This coffee recipe is much better for creating longer term and more stable energy without the crash. This recipe was made famous by Dave Asprey, and the company Bulletproof Coffee. But in truth, these methods have actually been around for hundreds of years. Tibetan monks have been putting grass fed butter in their tea for many generations, while possibly and unknowingly reaping some potent health benefits. Even though I enjoy a cup of butter coffee on a fairly regular basis, there are a few things to keep in mind as well. First of all, this is a meal replacement. If you are planning on having butter and MCT coffee, then that is your breakfast for the day. Ideally, you should not consume anything else until lunch time. This may not be as difficult as it sounds, since the butter and MCT oil both tend to help with satiety and blood sugar control. Additionally, I do not recommend having this every single day as your breakfast. This is because I would recommend changing up your breakfast choices every day, no matter what. However, I do think that this is definitely worth trying. If it is something that you enjoy, it is probably worth consuming once or twice a week. If you wish to try this breakfast replacement combo, try out this recipe below!
Recipe Link:
http://www.prevention.com/food/healthy-recipes/buttered-coffee-recipe
Sources:
http://www.commencefitness.com/#!Coffee-Is-it-Good-or-Bad-For-You/uq09e/5717cf2d0cf2dd6f7fc729dc
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8299884
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1386252
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18326600
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