Butter in Your Coffee: Separating Fact from Myth in the Weight Loss World

The trend of adding grass-fed butter or coconut oil to coffee has now circled the world. Many people believe that this concoction will help them lose weight, but is there any truth to this myth?

At the end of the day, there is nothing magic about putting a big slab of saturated fat in your coffee. In the context of an otherwise healthy diet, a little saturated fat in your morning cup of joe is not the end of the world. However, it's important to note that there is no substantial health benefit to drinking your fat calories in coffee specifically; you should obtain those calories however you see fit as long as you are sticking to your diet plan and living a healthy lifestyle.

One claim is that this concoction will reduce appetite. Indeed it will, but this is simply the virtue of caffeine and 500 calories worth of fat. Moving those fats to your breakfast meal or adding cream to your coffee would be a tastier alternative with an equally appetite-suppressing effect and likely better for overall health.

Another claim is that by avoiding carbs when cortisol is higher in the morning, you can prevent fat gain. The problem with this rationale is that cortisol levels are actually higher in the morning, making it more likely that added fats will be stored as fat rather than burned as energy when eating in a surplus. In fact, when cortisol levels are high, it's likely best to have a balanced breakfast that includes healthy fats, protein and carbs. This will also help you to get more micronutrients as well thus making it more nutritious.

In conclusion, putting butter in your coffee because you like the taste is a fine choice if you have calories to spare for a beverage, but do not expect that the outcomes will differ from eating butter with your morning meal. The key to weight loss is a healthy and balanced diet designed for your goals, along with regular exercise and a healthy lifestyle. Don't fall for the myth that adding butter or fat to your coffee will help you lose weight, it's simply not true.