Today, many people are incorporating fatty acids into their diets for numerous nutritional benefits. Keto coffee, a beverage blending coffee with fats like MCT oil, coconut oil, and grass-fed butter, has gained popularity within the ketogenic community. This article explores the benefits of keto coffee, its ingredients, and how to incorporate it into your ketogenic lifestyle.
What is Keto Coffee?
Keto coffee is a coffee drink that contains several ingredients which can be helpful to keto dieters. It has become one of the best beverages you can drink when you’re following a ketogenic eating plan, and it contains zero net carbs. It is essentially coffee with added fat.
The keto coffee story goes back more than a thousand years, when the stimulant properties of coffee had only recently been discovered. They eventually started drinking their coffee mixed with ghee or butter. Fast forward to the 21st century. When he got back to the states he put together his own recipe for butter coffee, called it “bulletproof coffee,” and trademarked the name. The marketing of bulletproof coffee happened to coincide with the explosion of the phenomenon known as the keto diet. And as it happened, the butter and MCT oil in bulletproof coffee were ideal supplements to a ketogenic eating plan.
Understanding the Ketogenic Diet
The ketogenic diet (KD) is a popular diet regimen that limits carbohydrate intake in order to stimulate your body’s natural ability to use energy it has stored as a reserve (body fat). The body has two major energy sources - it burns glucose or ketones. Most people burn glucose because they are supplying a steady form of sugar, starches, and proteins that are converted into blood sugar. Ketones are non-carbohydrate energy molecules that are converted from fatty acids in the body. Our bodies can make ketones from stored fat or from MCTs.
Ketones are more readily generated in a keto diet (KD) which is characterized by high fat, moderate protein, low carbohydrate (~75:20:5), or from keto supplements. After approximately a week on the keto diet with the help of MCT oil consumption, the body’s metabolism shifts from burning glucose to burning fatty acids which may naturally help achieve and maintain a state of ketosis in the body. Ketones or keto ingredients are consumed and used by the body as fuel for the brain, heart, and muscles.
Read also: Easy Low-Carb Cheese Crackers
On a keto diet, the body enters a metabolic state known as ketosis. In ketosis, the liver produces molecules called ketones, and both the body and brain can function normally on ketones instead of glucose. In order to produce ketones, the body burns its stored body fat.
The way that most dieters survive - and thrive - on the keto diet is by finding lots of imaginative recipes and approaches that boost the fat content in their diet.
Key Ingredients in Keto Coffee
Coffee
Presently, 85% of Americans begin their day with drinking some form of coffee. The average American will consume three cups of it over the course of the day. Coffee originated on the plateaus of central Ethiopia. By A.D. 1000, Ethiopian Arabs were collecting the fruits from the trees and preparing a beverage from its beans. Throughout the centuries, coffee has evolved from a rudimentary hot beverage to a cultural phenomenon.
Hot Coffee: Black coffee, please, since sugar wouldn’t make sense on any type of diet. The coffee shouldn’t contain milk either; for reasons we’ll discuss shortly, you’re not supposed to drink milk on keto. Some diet sodas are OK, bucan you drink on keto? That list is a lot shorter: water, coffee, unsweetened tea and wine. Some diet sodas are OK, but
MCT Oil
This oil is composed solely of fats called medium-chain triglycerides, and you can find it in natural food stores and on Amazon. It’s extracted from coconut oil or palm kernel oil, and it provides a number of health benefits.
Read also: Keto Calorie Counting: A Detailed Guide
MCT (Medium Chain Triglycerides) oils are a unique form of dietary fat that provide a wide range of health benefits. These oils refer to a type of highly refined edible oil from coconuts and other sources, which metabolize within the body into ketone energy. MCT oils are extracted from natural resources through a process called fractionation, which separates the lipids. To better define MCTs ― medium literally describes the length of each molecule (each molecule is about 6 to 12 carbon atoms long) and Triglycerides, also known as blood lipids, are the fat in your blood stream.
Generally, the shorter the “Chain”, the faster the body can turn the fatty acids into ketones and the easier it is for the body to digest and burn instantly. Most of the foods in the American diet are LCT (Long Chain Triglycerides; approximately 13 to 21 carbon atoms). They are harder to digest and our bodies are unable to store them for short term use; therefore, they may promote weight gain. MCTs provide about ten percent fewer calories than LCTs.
MCTs have a unique property. Since their chains are so much shorter than most of the fats we eat, they don’t have to be digested. When you’re on keto you have to stay in ketosis, so your body can produce ketones. In short, MCT oil helps keto dieters achieve and stay in ketosis. That’s why it’s added to keto coffee. We should also mention that MCT oil provides a wealth of other health benefits, whether you’re on keto or not. They are antioxidants and anti-inflammatories, and have antimicrobial properties as well. Even if MCT oil didn’t help keep keto dieters in ketosis, it would still make sense to add it to coffee. MCT oil helps to increase satiety. In other words, it makes you feel fuller for longer, because MCTs boost the release of hormones that promote a feeling of fullness. So MCT oil helps with weight loss.
Type C8 and C10 are naturally derived from coconuts. Our Genius Coffee has 0.5g of MCT, 0.1g of Turmeric, and 0.2g of Cinnamon. MCT can assist with appetite control, brain function and supports endurance.
Coconut Oil
Coconut oil is a superfood that is one of the best examples of a high MCT food. This nutrient dense oil has become a mainstay for a variety of health benefits. Almost half of the fat of the coconut is composed of a substance known as lauric acid. This plays a vital role in destroying bacteria and ultimately supporting immune health. Based on recent studies, exercise enthusiasts incorporate it to help enhance endurance and muscle formation, as well as heart health to promote HDL levels. Coconut oil and MCT oil are both known to enhance cognitive function, support weight management and power the brain and body for steady, all-day energy.
Read also: Magnesium Supplements for Keto
Grass-fed Butter
Grass-fed butter contains butyrate, a short chain fatty acid that helps the digestive system to function properly. It’s also the most important source of energy for those cells.
Grass-fed butter; which studies have shown have as much as 5x the CLA (conjugated linoleic acid) as conventional butter. This type of butter is derived from pasture-raised cows that roam freely in their natural environment where they ingest nutritious grasses and other plants versus grain-fed cows. Grass-fed butter contains butyrate, a short chain fatty acid that helps the digestive system to function properly. Butyrate also helps control the growth of the cells lining the gut; it promotes the balance of old cells dying and new cells being formed. It’s also the most important source of energy for those cells.
Ghee
Ghee contains slightly more calories than butter, but more importantly, it contains a higher concentration of fat - with no unhealthy trans-fats. It also has high levels of healthy Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids.
Himalayan Salt
The Himalayan Mountain ranges stretches across Asia and is associated with Mount Everest, the highest peak in the world. The many hues of pink, red and white are natural indications of the salt’s 80 + complex minerals and elements. These minerals have been shown to create an electrolyte balance, aid metabolism, promote circulation and absorb nutrients quicker. Because the salt is formed naturally, the minerals have been known to work synergistically and unlike table salt, the iodine doesn’t need to be artificially added. Table salt is not only stripped of all its minerals, but is chemically cleaned and bleached to avoid clumping.
Sweeteners
Zero-carb, zero-calorie natural sweeteners like stevia or monk fruit extract.
Benefits of Keto Coffee
- Fuels you with instant energy Fuels you with instant energy-anywhere, anytime†.
- Supports your low-carb, ketogenic lifestyle.
- Helps you stay sharp, focused, and in a good mood.
- Fights off hunger cravings to reduce eating between meals.
- Enhance cognitive function: Coconut oil and MCT oil are both known to enhance cognitive function.
- Support weight management: Coconut oil and MCT oil are both known to support weight management.
- Power the brain and body for steady, all-day energy: Coconut oil and MCT oil are both known to power the brain and body for steady, all-day energy.
- MCTs have also been shown to suppress your appetite for hours, so you’ll feel full longer.
- MCT oil helps keto dieters achieve and stay in ketosis.
- Grass-fed butter contains butyrate, a short chain fatty acid that helps the digestive system to function properly.
- The many hues of pink, red and white are natural indications of Himalayan salt’s 80 plus complex minerals and elements.
Potential Downsides
Keto coffee is extremely high in calories and saturated fat, thanks to the butter or ghee it contains. Of course, the fat is there for a purpose when you’re on keto. However, getting 20% of a day’s entire calories from a single cup of coffee, and consuming more saturated fat than you should be consuming an entire day, certainly isn’t optimal. Keto coffee should only be a once-a-day beverage, at most.
Keto coffee can do more harm than good if you’re dieting but not on keto (or another low-carb meal plan like paleo or intermittent fasting).
How to Make Keto Coffee
Making keto coffee is simple. The basic recipe for keto coffee is simple, once you have the necessary ingredients.
Ingredients:
- Hot Coffee: Black coffee, please, since sugar wouldn’t make sense on any type of diet. The coffee shouldn’t contain milk either; for reasons we’ll discuss shortly, you’re not supposed to drink milk on keto.
- MCT Oil: This oil is composed solely of fats called medium-chain triglycerides, and you can find it in natural food stores and on Amazon.
- Butter or ghee: They’re both fine to use, but needless to say, butter is somewhat easier to find (and less expensive). Don’t worry about “special” types of ingredients.
- Zero-carb, zero-calorie natural sweeteners like stevia or monk fruit extract.
Instructions:
You may have noticed that we said that the ingredients of bulletproof coffee are blended. There’s a good reason for that: coffee is made with water, and MCT oil is oil. Remember what you learned in high school science class? Oil and water don’t mix. You can use a standard blender for that, but an easier way to generate the creaminess of keto coffee is to use an immersion blender or a milk frother.
Keto Coffee Pods
Rapid Fire® is packaged in canisters or individual serving pods.
SUGGESTED USE: Load the single serve pod into brewing system and select 8-fl oz setting on brewer. Add 4-8 fl oz of hot water to brewing system. Put More in Your Cup12 (15.7g) Single Serve PodsSpice things up with instant coffee.
For the perfect cup, load one pod into a single-serve brewing system and brew with 8 oz. of water. Do not remove foil seal as the pod will not work properly in brewer.
Rapid Fire Keto Coffee
Now with Rapid Fire, you can experience this innovative “all-in-one” instant coffee that tastes like it was freshly brewed. No need to go to your barista, this full-bodied coffee is rich and bold, yet creamy. This slow-roasted Rapid Fire Keto Coffee provides nutrients that no other coffee can provide. Rapid Fire crafts organic ground coffee with coconut oil, MCTs and grass-fed butter ― along with a touch of Himalayan salt to create a delicious, satisfying, and nutritious coffee beverage. These powerful superfoods contain fats that are loaded with energizing compounds and fat-liberating essential fatty acids and health-protecting antioxidants. This super creamy coffee beverage is delicious hot or iced.
Rapid Fire starts with a coffee seed that’s planted in large beds in shaded nurseries. When the organic fruits, called the coffee cherry are ripened, they are prudently transported to safeguard their condition. The beans are dried, and then sent to the mill; where they are hulled, graded and sorted in an inspection process to ensure only the finest beans. The milled beans, also referred to as green coffee are repeatedly tested for quality and taste, this process is known as cupping. Afterwards, the beans are roasted at the precise temperature which transforms them into aromatic brown beans and promotes naturally occurring antioxidant capacity. Immediately following that process, the beans are cooled and ground. This high-performance, fat burning (remove ‘instant’) coffee is an all-in-one powdered drink mix that is to be enjoyed either hot or iced any time of the day. This smooth blend is highlighted with organic ground coffee that is free of many toxins, unlike other coffee beans. Each serving of Rapid Fire Coffee contains 150 mg of caffeine, which is equivalent to approximately an 8-ounce cup of coffee. Caffeine, a mild stimulant is a xanthine alkaloid that occurs naturally in coffee.
It Works! Keto Coffee
Upgrade your day with pumpkin spice and everything nice! Filled with clean, quality fats like naturally sourced Medium Chain Triglycerides (MCTs) and grass-fed butter, It Works! Keto Coffee sustains your mind-and-body energy throughout the day.† Treat yourself with each sweetly satisfying cup of this instant coffee that fuels ketone creation and offers a caffeine kick that won’t break your fast.†
Features and Benefits:
- Supports your low-carb, ketogenic lifestyle
- Fuels you with instant energy-anywhere, anytime†
- Helps you stay sharp, focused, and in a good mood†
- Fights off hunger cravings to reduce eating between meals†
- Non-GMO, No Artificial Colors or Flavors, Keto-friendly, Soy-free
VitaCup Genius Coffee
Get more from your cup with our best-selling Genius Coffee. Support your health and wellness each morning with a deeply satisfying brew to help you conquer the day. VitaCup Genius Coffee is dietician-formulated and packed with the nutrients your body needs to function at its best.
Our Genius Coffee is a well-balanced medium roast coffee with the cozy taste of cinnamon. Our coffee has approximately 110 mg of caffeine per serving.
Alternatives to Keto Coffee
Both keto and non-keto dieters can try something else to help with weight loss: Super Coffee, which is essentially keto coffee without the butter.
Super Coffee is made from 100% Arabica beans, sourced from Colombian organic growers - but the similarities with regular coffee end there. It contains MCT coconut oil, zero-carb monk fruit sweetener, and a lactose-free whey protein that gives the coffee a creamy body without using milk. One gram of carbs, ten grams of protein, extra health benefits - and it tastes like coffee is supposed to taste, delicious.