Should You Put Coconut Oil In Your Coffee? The Top Benefits & Side Effects

Coconut oil is wonderfully versatile. It can be incorporated into skin and hair care and provide a variety of health benefits in the diet. One popular and somewhat surprising way that people like to consume coconut oil is as a coffee additive.

Coffee and coconut oil both come with their own benefits and side effects. By consuming them together, you can harness some of the beneficial elements of each and limit some of the unpleasantness, such as jitters caused by coffee consumed on its own. 

Coconut oil in coffee was largely popularized by advocates of the keto diet, a low-carbohydrate, high-fat, and moderate-protein diet that aims to help the body use ketones as energy instead of glucose (sugar). The keto diet and its variations are used frequently as weight-loss techniques.

First, let's review how coffee works in the body. Coffee is a nervous system stimulant, and it provides an energy boost in two main ways.

For starters, caffeine sources like coffee and espresso are what is called "adenosine blockers1." Adenosine is a neurotransmitter that promotes sleepiness. The caffeine locks into the adenosine receptors, blocking sleepiness in the brain. At the same time, caffeine stimulates the release of energizing neurotransmitters such as dopamine.

Now, onto coconut oil. Coconut oil is a plant-based fat source. What makes it extra special, from a nutritional standpoint, is that although it is high in saturated fat (which is a bit controversial in the heart health2 and cholesterol3 conversation), the saturated fats in coconut oil are metabolized quickly.

Coconut oil is made up of about 50% lauric acid, a type of medium-chain triglyceride (MCT). MCTs are metabolized in a way that provides quick fuel for the body.

Research4 shows that coconut oil and its MCTs may have a protective effect against cancer5, diabetes6, and Alzheimer's disease7. Like coffee, coconut oil also has antioxidant8 properties that can fight oxidative stress.

We are all familiar with that groggy stumble toward the morning coffee pot, eager to enjoy the energy jolt that coffee delivers.

Coffee has been shown to enhance mental alertness9 and boost cognitive function10 in both the short and long term.

And one of the roles of fatty acids in the body is to slow down digestion for the sake of absorption. So, consuming fatty acids with your coffee means that the caffeine gets absorbed over a longer period of time, and you get to enjoy the mental alertness a bit longer.

"The fat essentially will bind onto the caffeine because the caffeine's fat soluble, and it creates a time-release source of caffeine so that you don't get an immediate peak and then a crash in the afternoon," metabolic health expert Alexis Cowan, Ph.D., previously told mindbodygreen of the combo. "Instead, you're adding to that slow, sustained energy that ultimately I think everybody's looking for when they're going into their workday."

Another reason you might gravitate toward coffee is to help get your bowels moving (hey, it works15!). While there hasn't specifically been any research on whether coconut oil makes you poop, it certainly seems, anecdotally, to be effective. This is one reason you might want to start with a smaller dose in your coffee, to see how your body reacts. 

The lauric acid in coconut oil is also antimicrobial16, which might contribute to a more balanced microbiome16. Coconut oil contains caprylic acid17, too, which has antimicrobial properties18 of its own. With one working on GI motility and the other working to keep your healthy bacteria thriving, you've got a powerful duo for the gut.

Coconut oil offers impressive immune protection. It is made up of a variety of fatty acids including lauric acid (about 50%) and caprylic acid (about 7%), both known to be antiviral21, antimicrobial22, antibacterial23, and antifungal24. You can benefit from these effects when consuming coconut oil or using it topically.

There are two main types of coconut oil: unrefined (also called virgin) and refined coconut oil. They differ slightly, but both can be included in your coffee. If you prefer a subtler coconut taste, opt for the refined, more heavily processed version.

To get started, add 1 to 2 tablespoons of your coconut oil of choice to 12 oz. of hot coffee. If you're new to the practice, start with 1 tablespoon to see how your body responds. 

Coconut oil in coffee will technically break your fast (sorry). But you can sip it in the morning if you need a bit of a mental boost or are feeling a bit hungry and still have a few hours to go on your fast.

Yes. The fat in coconut oil is helpful in pushing your body toward ketosis.

It is always important to consider the negative impacts that a food can have on your body, especially if you plan to consume it daily.

For starters, one concern with coconut oil is that it's high in saturated fat, which may raise LDL (bad) cholesterol 3and harm cardiovascular health over time2 (though its overall impact on cholesterol is highly contested33). Those who are watching their fat intake for medical reasons will want to use it cautiously. Like other fat sources, it's also relatively high in calories, which will be a concern for some.

Caffeine also comes with side effects of its own34. It can trigger anxiousness, headaches, digestive issues, heart palpitations, and jitters in some people, so you'll want to pay attention to how it impacts you. Plus, it impairs sleep quality when consumed too late in the day, which will have negative downstream effects on your mood, alertness, and more.

Perhaps, if you have investigated adding coconut oil to your coffee, you have also looked into olive oil, butter, or ghee. While you will get some of the same benefits by adding any fat to coffee (blood sugar balance, for example), what really stands out about coconut oil is its high proportion of the MCT lauric acid. Coconut oil is actually the highest natural source of lauric acid35.

MCT oil is another popular coffee additive. It's made of pure medium-chain triglycerides, whereas coconut oil is only 50 to 65% composed of these quick-metabolizing fats. In terms of flavor, coconut oil and MCT oil are quite comparable, with MCT oil being slightly more neutral.