5 Benefits of Adding Fat to Coffee
Butter in Coffee?
Before you begin to think, why would I beef up my morning cup of Joe, hear us out. Healthy fats you can add to your coffee are found in items such as grass-fed butter or ghee, as well as MCT oil or coconut oil, coconut cream, and full fat cream or dairy from healthy, grass-fed cows (if you lean towards the Primal side).
These organic and natural saturated fats are great sources of extra protein, nutrients and amino acids that most of us do not get enough of in our diets. Fat is essential to our homeostasis and literally every function of every system of the body.
If you’re a coffee drinker, here are some reasons to add a little fat to your caffeinated beverage:
5 Benefits of Adding Fat to Coffee
1. Sustained and Prolonged Energy:
Dietary fats will slow down the digestion and absorption of other foods and beverages they accompany. By adding fats to your coffee, you are slowing the absorption of the caffeine into your system and prolonging its effects. The upside to this will be more bang for your buck (or mug) and you can benefit from this if you like to drink some Joe before a workout.
2. Balances Insulin & Maintains Blood Sugar Levels:
Like the first example, when fats slow down your absorption of coffee it actually helps to prevent sharp insulin spikes and blood sugar crashes. The grass-fed butter or coconut oil will act as a nerve signal traffic cop by slowing the rush hour into an organized, well fueled flow of performance processes, such as the signals being driven from the gut to the liver and the pancreas to the kidneys, and so on.
3. Helps Promote Digestion & Healing of Gut:
Coffee can be very acidic, which is bad for your gut and digestive system. Adding fats can help to neutralize the acidity in coffee, especially if you use grass-fed butter, ghee or coconut cream. The calcium in these fats will reduce or even neutralize the acidity which your tummy will thank you for.
Not only does it do that, but the conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), found in coconut oil or MCT oil, as well as the short chain fatty acid butyrate are known to reduce inflammation. Now if we were all being honest with ourselves, we’d admit that we eat, drink and breathe in a lot of nasty, inflammatory crap that does a ton of damage to our guts. If you have acne, rashes, dry itchy skin, headaches, blurry vision, acid reflux, heartburn, achy joints, or basically any symptom ever recorded in medical history, then your stomach is inflamed. Be kind to it. Add some fats in there.
4. Supports a Moderation Mindset for Caffeine:
Since we know that adding healthy fats to our coffee will help to sustain our energy and prevent blood sugar crashes, then we can justifiably argue that we won’t be reaching for that second, third and fourth cup of Joe. Why? Because you won’t need it! Why is that a good thing? Because if truth be told, coffee is not “good for you.” It has its benefits, but too many ignore the dangers. It’s a stimulant, bottom line. When abused, it will do more harm than good.
Like I mentioned above, it’s also got a very high acidity which pushes your body’s pH over the line and when your body is too acidic, it stops working. Literally. That’s why you need a second cup, and a third cup to keep going when you crash. So if you’re trying to reduce your coffee intake for whatever reasons (health, energy, hormones, gut healing, budget etc), adding fat can help you to moderate and reduce in a big way.
5. Gives You Bonus Protein & Nutrients for Performance and Immunity:
By itself, coffee doesn’t have much in the way of nutritional value. Adding fat, such as grass-fed butter, ghee (or cream for the Primal crowd) throws in a pinch of protein as well as calcium, vitamin D and K. Coconut oil, coconut cream, coconut milk or MCT oil help to add in vitamin E and lauric acid, which is absorbed directly into the blood for quicker and longer lasting satiety.
All of these options are great supporters for your immune system and energy levels to sustain a well-fueled machine, no matter what you use it for. Whether you like to lift weights, run, bike, swim, hike or yoga, adding these healthy saturated fats to your coffee will enhance the ability of your beverage to support your activities and maintain a healthy lifestyle!
