If you are an avid coffee consumer, chances are you have heard about the latest trend: butter-infused java. Although this combination of fast energy from caffeine with slow release from fat may seem counterintuitive at first, people swearing by it are touting its many health benefits from increasing focus to weight loss. But is adding butter to your morning brew actually healthy?

Bulletproof Coffee or Bourbon Vanilla Lattes became widely popular during the 2000s after lifestyle author Dave Asprey began promoting it after returning from Tibet where he saw locals drinking yak butter tea to deal with altitude sickness. According to Asprey’s claim that when combined with MCT oil and protein powders, it can help people feel fuller for longer while improving mental clarity and performance – quickly becoming popular among fitness enthusiasts and those following low-carbohydrate high-fat diets.

MCT stands for medium-chain triglycerides, a type of saturated fats known to help support healthy cholesterol levels and even enhance metabolic health, according to some studies. When taken together with caffeine, MCTs and caffeine may provide a powerful brain boost and accelerate metabolism speedily.

Unfortunately, there is little scientific support to back these claims. Indeed, too much consumption of saturated fats may increase your risk for heart disease; while replacing some saturated fats with polyunsaturated ones (found in nuts, seeds and fatty fish) might reduce this risk somewhat; more evidence supports eating plenty of vegetables, whole grains and lean meats as the best sources of dietary fats.

Buttering up your coffee may sound like an odd combination, but it has actually been part of traditional practice for over 1000 years. “Tibetan farmers still drink yak butter tea as an energy boost at high altitudes while it remains popular throughout India, Singapore, and Vietnam,” according to food historian Hannah Cutting-Jones of mindbodygreen.

Traditionally, this beverage is prepared by whisking black coffee with solid fat (typically ghee or butter that’s lower in lactose than regular butter) until smooth and frothy. Some people add pinch of salt and vanilla extract for flavor; other use a sweetener such as sugar or zero-calorie liquid sweetener on keto diets; still others use coconut oil that provides more MCTs but less saturated fats than regular butter.

As when making any beverage containing oil and water, when making this one it’s essential to remember that oil and water don’t mix. If you try adding just butter directly to your coffee brew without using a blender for 15-20 seconds to ensure complete mixing of fats and liquids. In addition, ensure you use high quality grass-fed unsalted butter along with premium coffee beans with low mycotoxin levels to get an ideal beverage result.