I Added This to My Coffee Every Day for a Week and This Strange Thing Happened
Getting a boost of adrenaline and energy right from the sunrise is a hook I can’t seem to shake.
While coffee itself has plenty of energy-boosting benefits, one addition you can make to your morning cup of coffee seems to boost the effects even more.
And that’s Medium-chain triglycerides (otherwise known as MCT oil).
For a week, I started my morning with a frothy mug of coffee with MCT oil.
The MCT oil coffee is made simply by adding MCT oil to your organic cup of coffee.
It’s frothed with either a hand-held frother or blended in a blender.
I tried the frother method for convenience.
The coffee drink is also called ‘Bulletproof coffee’ or “butter coffee” when combined with grass-fed butter.
But to be authentically Bulletproof, you need to use the C8 brain octane oil.
It’s a form of Medium-chain triglyceride fatty acids.
Originally, the Bulletproof coffee was invented by Dave Asprey as a wellness-promoting drink. The invention came in pursuit of better health, to aid ketone production, and boost sustainable energy.
This oil-infused hot coffee essentially became the go-to coffee for keto dieters and seekers of better health and cognitive function.
In this experiment, I used a liquid form of coconut oil-derived MCT oil, not Bulletproof company-branded Brain Octane Oil.
For the last 2 days of this experiment, I added a slice of grass-fed butter in addition to MCT oil to add more healthy fat to the coffee and give it a salty taste.
I was moderately optimistic about starting this new morning ritual.
What I hoped to gain from it is the health benefits like mental clarity, sustainable energy, and increased satiety within the first week.
Since I was not following a keto diet at the time of my experiment, I did not measure the level of ketone production or test whether my body was in ketosis.
Here is what happened when I added a spoonful of MCT oil to my morning cup of coffee for a week straight.
I Drank MCT Oil Coffee for 1 Week and I Experienced These Bizzare Effects
Day 1
The first day of this keto coffee experiment was probably the toughest. I had whole a lot of reservations and resistance to adding oil to my coffee.
For as long as I can remember, I always had my morning coffee the same way:
Drip black coffee with a drop of organic almond milk for a slight creaminess.
The idea of adding a spoon of fat to my usual coffee, even healthy fat was quite intimidating.
Once I decided to go for it though, the rest was quite easy.
Making MCT coffee had 3 easy steps.
The first thing you do is brew coffee. I grind whole coffee beans every morning, but grounded coffee beans can be used as well. The standard bulletproof coffee recipe has you make your coffee the drip style, but you can certainly use a coffee maker if that’s your go-to.
Next comes the addition of MCT oil. I added a teaspoon of MCT to start with. I keep my MCT bottle at room temperature.
As the last step, you either blend it in a blender or froth it with a handheld milk frother. The best way (and easy way) to achieve a latte-like texture on top is to the frother method.
The first sip took a bit of courage, but upon tasting it, I realized this fat-infused coffee wasn’t too bad.
The foam on top was quite velvety and added creaminess.
It actually tasted like a heavier latte. It definitely had a hand-crafted drink feel.
After having MCT oil coffee, I noticed I had a boost of energy.
It was hard to tell it gave more energy than my usual cup of joe with caffeine, but it definitely made me more awake and alert.
I had a hard time finishing my mug. The fat felt heavy on my stomach and definitely suppressed my appetite and gave me satiety.
Instead of pairing this keto coffee with breakfast, I skipped the meal and instead practiced intermittent fasting.
Though, technically, regular coffee with a healthy fat like MCT, ghee, grass-fed butter, or any other fat would break your fasting as it contains calories.
If you plan to stay true to your intermittent fasting plan and keep carb deprivation during the fasting period, I suggest you stick with black coffee.
Day Two
The process of making the keto coffee got faster on Day Two.
On Day Two, I added the same amount of medium-chain triglycerides (MCT) as I did on Day One.
The MCT fatty acids liquid supplement I used had no taste and smell, which was helpful in chugging down keto coffee.
I also added a drop of almond milk. For those on a keto diet, I suggest low-sugar almond milk.
I don’t usually add any sweetener to my coffee, but if you have sweet tooth, adding sweeteners like stevia or erythritol would be a good idea. The coffee would still remain low-carb and won’t spike blood sugar.
Upon having this keto-friendly morning beverage, I felt a sense of energy boost.
Between the first and second days, I was successful in having productive days.
The best part about it for me was that this satiating drink could replace my breakfast entirely.
Keto coffee offers enough satiety that I felt I could comfortably skip a meal in the morning.
I felt I snacked far less than usual and my mind was clear all morning.
Day Three
I had gotten used to the heavy foam on top of the coffee and the satiety that comes with this high-fat drink.
I did feel like I had a minor case of heartburn later in the morning, which I don’t usually get by coffee alone.
I can’t say I’ve lost any weight by the third day, but I felt far less appetite throughout the day, which also helped me snack less.
While it’s hard to predict the long-term effects of this morning coffee ritual, when kept up, I can see it can spark a dietary change that’d benefit weight loss.
For those on a low-carb or ketogenic diet, this can be a ketosis-inducing high-fat drink. It’s low in carbohydrates and high in medium-chain triglyceride (MCT) oil.
MCTs are dietary supplements that contain medium-chain fatty acids you find in palm oil, coconut oil, and even breast milk. Research study shows that MCT consumption, due to the shorter length, can lead to faster digestion and conversion into ketones.
MCTs can also help curb cravings and fuel your brain.
That’s where mental clarity and better cognition come from.
Day Four
Despite the little heartburn, I felt that day before, I carefully increased my dose of MCTs.
This time, I added a tablespoon of MCTs.
I also decided to add a slice of grass-fed butter. I didn’t have unsalted butter on hand, so what I added was salted grass-fed butter.
As expected, it gave a bit of a salty taste, which I did not mind at all.
This made the coffee a bit too heavy and rich. It created a much thicker foam on top than when it was just a teaspoon of MCTs and no butter.
For those who are used to thicker cream for coffee like heavy cream, this butter coffee may be a natural choice. It adds similar richness.
I felt my heart beating faster, which could mean it was boosting my metabolic rate. I also felt quite awake, and I felt full after drinking this bulletproof coffee.
I also noticed better digestion. It actually helped me be regular.
As for cognition, I felt the same level of mental clarity.
Day Five
By Friday (Day Five), I was more used to having different versions of coffee with MCTs. I tried the butter coffee recipe, which is pretty close to the original bulletproof coffee recipe.
I also tried coffee with just the MCT oil.
My least favorite was the butter coffee, which I made on Day Four and Five.
Adding a teaspoon of MCT oil was my favorite way all week long.
I did feel I had a better concentration and felt more awake because of it.
But I felt the improvement I was able to experience was too subtle to continue this daily routine.
Before this experiment, I was avoiding dairy products as much as possible, so having the grass-fed butter in my morning coffee when I didn’t need to felt unnecessary.
As an added surprise, I felt I lost a few pounds. Because I don’t have a scale in my house, I couldn’t weigh myself, but my jeans felt a bit looser than last week, and my stomach was slightly flatter.
I contribute this to less snacking, more fullness throughout the day, and skipping breakfast. I also ate a healthy diet throughout and exercised daily, which probably helps with fat burning and metabolism.
All week, this MCT-infused coffee served as breakfast for me, and if I were on a keto diet, it probably helped me stay in ketosis.
Overall, I felt pretty great drinking this, wellness wise but getting used to it and actually enjoying a morning cup of joe with concentrated fat was another.
I didn’t hate it. I could drink it, but I missed my usual coffee with almond milk.
Conclusion On Mct Oil Coffee
All in all, there were benefits to adding MCTs to my coffee and making it a morning beverage.
Some of the benefits of MCT oil I noticed are better cognitive function (feeling awake and alert), slight weight loss, better digestion, and satiety. Going to the bathroom in the morning was a breeze and prevented constipation.
I can see how this is a perfect cup of joe and a perfect way to start the morning routine for some. But as for me, the fatty coffee also brought a minor case of heartburn that I did not enjoy.
I also didn’t love having a fatty ingredient in my coffee.
To reap the benefits of MCT oil, I would love to try subbing olive oil with MCT oil in my homemade salad dressing. Also adding a spoon into smoothies may be more subtle than adding it to coffee.
Keto Coffee Recipe for Your Low Carb Diet
There are different ways to make bulletproof coffee or keto coffee, but this is my favorite.