Q&A: Can adding butter to my coffee help me lose weight?

A health drink called Bulletproof Coffee is trending now. It is a cup of black coffee with grass-fed butter and medium-chain triglycerides (MCT) oil mixed in. It was designed by Dave Asprey, a tech entrepreneur who claims the 450-plus-calorie brew suppresses hunger, promotes weight loss, and improves energy.

Fat is more satiating than nothing, so if you add it to your morning cup, you may feel full longer. Some nutrition experts say starting the day with healthy fats provides energy, is good for cognitive function, and supports your hormonal system. Butter from grass-fed cows supplies a ratio of omega-3 to omega-6 fatty acids that’s healthier than what comes from conventionally raised livestock. Meanwhile, MCTs, a unique form of fat, requires less energy and enzymes to be digested when compared to long-chain triglycerides.

Evidence suggests regular consumption of MCTs can induce mild fat loss, but the coconut oils and things from which people usually get MCTs often contain dangerous amounts of fats. Note that one tablespoon of grass-fed butter and one tablespoon of MCT oil add up to more than 100 per cent of your recommended daily allowance of saturated fat. The downside? It’s an extra 200-300 calories, so it has to replace some food, else you gain an extra 20 to 30 pounds each year by having a cup per day. If you’re trying to cut calories or saturated fat, Bulletproof probably isn’t your cuppa.

Saccharin, an artificial sweetener known by different brand names, became popular because it’s over 200 times sweeter than table sugar, but has no calories. In the 1970s, it was perceived to be a possible carcinogen (cancer-causing substance) after studies in rats showed that excessive saccharin could lead to bladder cancer. This led the FDA and WHO to put warning labels on saccharin products about the possible risk of cancer. However, studies in humans have since shown no relationship between saccharin and cancer. The FDA and the WHO have taken saccharin off their lists of possible carcinogens, but there’s still ongoing research on its safety.

Until more is known, you need to follow some regulations set by FDA around the use of saccharin. The acceptable daily allowance of saccharin is 15mg per kg of bodyweight. So, if you weigh 60kg, you could safely consume up to 900mg of saccharin. At 36mg per packet (for Sweet’N Low), that would be 25 packets.