Would you drink water with added fat?

Believe it or not, it’s the latest health craze

YOU think that coconut water is quirky? Then look away now. I am melting 2 tsp of coconut oil and pouring it into filtered water in a drinking jar.

Initially, the water goes cloudy as it should, and I feel rather smug. It tastes lightly of coconut. But when I put down the jar, the oil immediately separates and solidifies around the straw.

I’ve not gone insane, adding fat to my water. I’m trying to make my own home-made version of FATwater, the strangest twist yet on plain old H20.

FATwater is a new drink from Dave Asprey, the man behind the equally bizarre- sounding but phenomenally popular Bulletproof Coffee. Stirring butter and his special coconut oil extract into quality coffee apparently provides the body and brain with rapid energy.

FATwater is based on the same premise. The killer ingredients are nanoparticles of fats known as medium chain triglycerides (MCTs), which have been extracted from the hearts of coconuts. Asprey has named this magic juice Bulletproof XCT oil. The concentrate (£19.47 for 16 sachets,

bulletproof.com), which you add to water, has 26 calories and two grams of XCT oil. It’s sweetened with fruit extracts and the natural sweeteners xylitol and stevia.

Water is turned cloudy by the fat, which disperses evenly using Asprey’s ‘nano-fusion technology’. or, if you find all that too disgusting, you can buy it as a ready-mixed drink.

‘Saturated fat such as that found in coconuts has been demonised for the past 40 years,’ says nutritionist Dr Elisabeth Philipps. ‘ But experts now realise sugar, transfats and a sedentary lifestyle are the real enemies.’

In spite of the name, FATwater is not supposed to make you gain weight. It’s being touted as a healthy alternative to the sugary energy drinks on the market.

THE theory is that our cells are more likely to absorb water molecules when they come with small amounts of fat particles, so FATwater is super-hydrating as well as being good for your body.

Some reviewers say it leaves a coating on the tongue. others compare it to drinking liquid soap.

That said, the fact there appears to be a global shortage suggests plenty are convinced by the claims and the taste.

From a marketing point of view, FATwater is genius. But is it really a super-water, or just a super expensive waste of time?

Well, the fat has proven benefits. ‘ MCTs are good because they are digested differently to other fats,’ says nutritionist Rob Hobson, coauthor of The Detox Kitchen Bible.

‘ But rather than passing through the digestive system, they go straight to the liver, where they’re burnt off as energy.’

For this reason they are used in hospital drips for patients who have had certain surgery. MCTs are also widely available as supplements and are taken by body-builders who want to reduce body fat. However, nutritionist Zoe Harcombe warns: ‘If you need to lose weight, which is the case for two- thirds of the UK population, then I wouldn’t take in any extra fuel.’ Dr Philipps is equally sceptical. ‘It sounds like a marketing ploy,’ she says. ‘ Yes, MCTs are a good source of energy from fat, but nanotechnology means the fat must have been highly processed. Perhaps it is genius, but I’m not convinced. We don’t know the longterm effects.’

It’s thought that if you opt for MCTs over other oils, you may see weight loss. In a 2008 study, those who ate 18-24g of MCTs daily lost more weight than people who ate the same amount of olive oil. Zoe Harcombe says: ‘It’s true that fat-soluble vitamins need fat for absorption. But I’m unaware of any evidence suggesting water is better absorbed with fat.

‘You’re better off, in terms of pennies and health, drinking ordinary water to rehydrate.’

Thousands clearly disagree. Since FATwater launched this summer, it has sold out soon after stocks hit the website.

You might think the coconut oil industry would be advocates of FATwater. But Charlotte Knight, MD of Jax Coco — whose pure coconut water and oil has fans such as Stella McCartney and Elton John — says: ‘ I’m a huge fan of coconut oil, but I wonder whether this is a fad too far.

‘I’d recommend having your coconut oil in coffee or a smoothie, or using it for cooking. Personally, I’d stay hydrated by drinking pure water or coconut water.’

She adds, tactfully, that we’re not ready for it in the UK: ‘Some independent highend retailers might take a look at it, but it’s unlikely to become mainstream.’

What it all comes down to is why are we messing with water at all? Humans consist of around 60 per cent of the stuff. If you don’t drink any, you die in about three days.

We are lucky enough to live in a country where we have enough water to drink.

Perhaps it’s time to chill out and just turn on the tap.