Is Butter Coffee Really Worth the Hype?

The coffee industry may have seen its fair share of unconventional fads come and go over the years - From health nut certified "mushroom coffee" to creatively-flavored frappés that more closely resemble a milkshake than your standard cup of joe. And of course, nobody can forget the most recent viral sensation that took social media feeds by storm - the Dalgona coffee.

Arguably one of the buzziest, most prevalent and persistent coffee trends to prevail over the past decade, however, is one that makes some lofty claims beyond the Instagram-worthy latté art: Enter the widely-worshipped Butter Coffee. 

But is it really worth all the hype? 

In today's adventure into the wonderful world of coffee, let's find out why people are raving about this "miracle" drink, and whether a buttery brew is worth adding to your must-try list!

meet the ingredients
What is Butter Coffee?

Before we get into the hefty list of benefits allegedly offered by Butter Coffee, let's learn what goes into the concoction.

In case you were wondering, it does happen to be exactly what it sounds like: Butter + Coffee, along with optional other healthy fats in the form of coconut or MCT oil, a refined coconut oil touted for its many health benefits. 

how butter coffee is made:

Give it a whirl and viola! Your decadent dose of satiation and energy - in the form of what’s essentially a latté on steroids - is served.

the health buzz
Why Do People Drink Butter Coffee?

So you’ve gotten the gist of what butter coffee actually is— basically your regular cup of joe with butter and other added fats thrown in for, y’know, health reasons. "Which are… what exactly?" you might be wondering, and you wouldn’t be alone.

In other words, if lathering your morning pick-me-up in butter and oil seems completely counterintuitive to everything we’ve learned about eating healthy, there’s a good reason for that ingrained gut reaction.

Still, there are scores of people who swear by the stuff for touted benefits like aiding weight loss, boosting energy and physical endurance, as well as improving gut and heart health.

butter coffee testimonies
What people love about it

Since its rise to notoriety in the Western world in the late 2000’s, the concept of butter coffee struck a chord with health and fitness communities. Testimonies from avid drinkers highlighted two profound benefits to be had overall:

One of the main draws to this latest coffee craze is its ability to slow down the release of caffeine into your bloodstream, due to the fat content of the butter slowing down the digestion process. Why, you might ask? There's a couple of reasons why this is a desirable outcome for those who imbibe coffee for its energy...

First, the slowed caffeine release means a less intense energy spike (and crash, consequently), which can substantially reduce the prevalence of undesirable side effects usually correlated with coffee drinking: Think shakiness, increased heart rate, irritability and anxiety.

Secondly, smoothing out the rise and fall of the caffeine levels in your system generally prolongs the duration of its desired effects, providing its dose of magic in enhanced energy and mental clarity to last all day long.

If you remain unconvinced on the idea of throwing a slab of butter into your morning Americano as part of a strategy to shed a few pounds, you’d be justified in your suspicions!

After all, adding otherwise nutritionless saturated fats to our diet goes against pretty much everything we’ve learned about weight and cholesterol management over the past few decades.

Still, there is a compelling argument for the case of butter coffee in a world of weight watching and calorie counting, at least for some individuals such as those who subscribe to the Keto trend.

Favoring high fat and protein intake at the sacrifice of a nutritionally-holistic diet (particularly at the expense of carbohydrates) is a familiar concept that continues to make its rounds over the years, most notoriously as a hallmark of the Atkin’s diet, and most recently in the increasingly popular Ketogenic diet. 

the bottom line
All in All, Is Butter Coffee Worth the Hype?

At the end of the day, every individual has different needs and preferences, and will have varied reactions and experiences depending on a variety of factors.

There’s little harm in giving this butter coffee trend a go, keeping in mind a few caveats and the simple phrase that rings true for most things in life: Moderation is key. 

Are you game to give butter coffee a go? Why not whip up a batch in your Greens Steel Coffee Mug and let us know what you think!

Maggie Johnson | Greens Steel Lifestyle Contributor