Why Adding Coconut Oil To Your Coffee Can Give It A Healthy Boost

If you're a coffee drinker, you know there are few people to whom you must explain your habit. More than 70% of all Americans like a good cup of joe, with 62% drinking it every day, according to the National Coffee Association. It's no surprise that coffee drinkers are creatures of habit — 90% of older drinkers (those age 60 and up) and 70% of 18- to 24-year-olds must start their day with coffee, enjoying a cup at breakfast. Overall, the average coffee lover consumes about three cups a day.

Despite their devotion to the brew and their fondness for a medium roast, coffee drinkers also show interest in variety and mixing up their normal routine. The National Coffee Association recalled that coffee drinkers are "flocking" to drinks laced with espresso, especially cappuccinos, lattes, and flat whites. For whatever reason — perhaps their climate — people in the Northeast drink about 15% more espresso-based coffee drinks than people in the Midwest.

Given how coffee drinkers are embracing novelties, another one may not be far behind. And it could give them just the extra edge they've been looking for.

Many coffee drinkers are well aware that they can have "too much of a good thing," as Johns Hopkins Medicine put it. This means no more than four or five cups of coffee a day — or maybe even considering cutting out caffeine for good. Otherwise, side effects like a quickened heart rate, headache, insomnia, nausea, or the shakes may follow, reported the U.S. Food & Drug Administration. 

This is when coffee drinkers are more than happy to balance out the argument, pointing to the health benefits of drinking coffee — they're delighted to repeat those five words for emphasis. Cleveland Clinic noted coffee can reduce the risk of Alzheimer's disease, cancer, depression, liver disease, Parkinson's disease, and type 2 diabetes.

So just imagine if you take these benefits and combine them with the benefits of coconut oil. It's so versatile that you can place several jars throughout your home and use it to do everything from stir-fry vegetables to moisturize your skin. By ingesting it — say, by mixing some in that morning coffee — you can piggyback on some of the oil's equally versatile health benefits. Healthline explained the oil may boost your metabolism, calm inflammation, ease arthritis symptoms, help fight infections, increase good cholesterol levels, protect your liver, provide a quick jolt of energy, and more.

Offering advice on adding coconut oil to coffee is a little like telling people how much cream or sugar to add to a cup of black coffee — or whether a latte should be topped with whipped cream or a long stream of caramel drizzle. As the Cleveland Clinic said, coffee may have its attributes, but the add-ins can undercut the benefits.

Coconut oil contains about 80% saturated fat — about 120 calories per tablespoon — which shows up in the calorie count (per Medical News Today). This means it's best to go easy with coconut oil. If you drink multiple cups of coffee a day, Roasty Coffee recommended adding no more than a total of 2 tablespoons of coconut oil. 

Most likely, you'll detect the coconut flavor, but it won't be overly sweet like other coffee additives (especially syrups). If you like hot coffee, as many coffee drinkers do, it may be easiest to make a smooth mixture by putting the coconut oil in your coffee mug first (via Roasty Coffee). Then slowly pour the hot coffee over it, stirring it gently until the oil dissolves. Instead of whipped cream and caramel, the coffee pros suggest adding a trickle of honey. It offers its own share of health benefits, as long as you don't overdo a good thing.