Ready to take your morning brew to the next level and experience a surge of energy and mental clarity? This ultimate guide will spill the beans on what Bulletproof Coffee is, its benefits, its recipe, and why it has gained such a devoted following.
Imagine starting your day with a cup of Joe that satisfies your caffeine craving, enhances your cognitive function, and boosts your overall performance. Bulletproof Coffee achieves this by blending high-quality, low-toxin coffee beans with grass-fed butter and MCT oil. The result? A rich and creamy concoction that packs a powerful punch.
But it’s not just about the taste. Bulletproof coffee enthusiasts swear by the numerous health benefits it offers. From improved concentration and focus to increased fat-burning and weight loss, this beverage is more than just a delicious drink.
In this guide, we’ll delve into the origins of the butter coffee, its unique recipe, and the science behind its positive effects. So grab your mug and prepare to supercharge your mornings with a cup of Bulletproof Coffee.
Table of Contents:
What is Bulletproof Coffee?
Bulletproof Coffee, or butter or keto coffee, is an energizing drink made from high-quality fats and fresh coffee. It provides energy, nutrients, satiety, and a sharp focus.
The original Bulletproof Coffee recipe consists of the following ingredients:
- Coffee
- Grass-fed butter or ghee
- Coconut or MCT oil
MCT stands for medium-chain triglycerides, a type of fat extracted from coconut oil.
This Bulletproof Coffee recipe has been invented by the bio-hacker Dave Asprey. However, various high-fat, sugar-free coffee varieties have developed in recent years.
Because this buttery coffee provides energy, reduces appetite, and fosters ketosis, it is very popular. Ketosis is a metabolic state in which the body burns fat as its primary energy source.
If you want to try Bulletproof Coffee, you can easily prepare it at home. Although there are instant products, I would advise against them and stick to the natural Bulletproof Coffee recipe.
If you drink Bulletproof Coffee instead of a high-carbohydrate breakfast, you will feel full and energized for hours. That’s why it’s an excellent tool to help jump-start intermittent fasting and the ketogenic diet.
Benefits of Bulletproof Coffee for Keto
The keto diet is a high-fat, low-carbohydrate diet.
Since ketosis means the body has depleted carbohydrate stores, it can burn body fat for energy.
Then, this fat energy is delivered as ketones throughout the bloodstream into your body.
Ketone bodies are energy carriers that the mitochondria in cells can burn more cleanly. Hence, they reduce cancer risk since cancer cells use glucose as their primary energy source (Maurer et al. 20111).
Because the storage hormone insulin acts as an on-switch for fat storage and an off-switch for fat burning, the restriction of carbohydrates is essential.
Since pure fat, such as ghee or MCT oil, hardly stimulates insulin production, Bulletproof Coffee’s effects synergize with the health benefits of keto.
Moreover, Bulletproof Coffee is also excellent for fasting because it is based on the depletion of glycogen stores to burn fat for energy.
Bulletproof Coffee Benefits for Intermittent Fasting
Bulletproof Coffee is incredibly popular among intermittent fasting beginners. Why?
In the beginning, it helps to stay full longer. That is why fasting enthusiasts use Bulletproof Coffee to prolong their fasting period.
But doesn’t high-fat coffee break the fast?
Although pure fats are high in calories, they do not affect blood sugar. Nevertheless, they represent a meal. And any eating affects insulin production.
Since only pure fat is in the butter coffee, its effect on insulin is negligible. However, fat stimulates an enzyme called AMPK. It is a primary nutrient detector in our bodies. Therefore, Bulletproof Coffee technically breaks a fast.
However, this does not affect the body’s ability to burn fat. When you fast and drink Bulletproof Coffee, you stay in ketosis. The whole recipe of the drink is designed to maintain ketosis.
In short, butter coffee impairs the fasting benefits of autophagy but not the ability to burn fat. Therefore, Bulletproof Coffee helps you prolong fasting to reap weight loss benefits.
Should You Make Keto Coffee With Coconut or MCT Oil?
MCT stands for “Medium-Chain Triglycerides.” These are medium-chain fatty acids that occur mainly in coconut oil.
Therefore, pure MCT oil is derived from coconut oil but contains a higher MCT concentration.
Since exceptionally high-quality MCT oil (affiliate link) consists of Caprylic acid (C8), which is only eight carbon atoms long, it can be metabolized faster than ordinary coconut oil.
Hence, MCT oil can be four times as effective as coconut oil in ketone production. As a result, most people report increased mental focus after drinking Bulletproof Coffee.
In this sense, there is a difference between regular coconut oil and MCT oil when talking about energy boosts and weight loss.
Nevertheless, coconut oil contributes to the well-known benefits of Bulletproof Coffee.
What Are the Benefits of Bulletproof Coffee?
Bulletproof Coffee has an entirely different effect than your average latte.
Because, unlike latte, it is a stimulating, performance-enhancing keto drink that provides lasting energy for everyone, from athletes and CEOs to power moms.
Thus, the benefits of Bulletproof Coffee include:
1. Energy
Bulletproof Coffee provides constant, long-lasting energy without causing a blood sugar crash.
Since fat slows digestion, the caffeine in coffee can be absorbed more slowly and provide longer-lasting energy.
However, it is instead the MCT oil that makes Bulletproof Coffee’s long-term energy-boosting effect.
Due to the shorter chain length, the body metabolizes and uses MCTs more quickly than other fats (Schönfeld et al. 20162).
Hence, they can be used immediately as a source of energy or converted into ketones, i.e., molecules that your liver makes from fatty acids, which can help increase energy levels over a longer time.
2. Weight Loss
One of the significant benefits of Bulletproof Coffee is that it helps to enter or remain in the metabolic state of ketosis.
Accordingly, research shows that taking MCT oil helps to induce ketosis through diet.
Moreover, it helps to alleviate side effects during the initial transition to burning fat as the primary energy source – the so-called “keto flu.”
Since MCT oil is more “ketogenic” than other fats i.e., it converts ketones more quickly. Thus, it supports a ketogenic diet and intermittent fasting (Harvey et al. 20183).
Also, coconut oil, butter, or ghee can keep insulin levels low and maintain ketosis.
3. Nutrients
Black coffee contains several micronutrients, such as niacin (vitamin B3) and potassium. For example, potassium prevents cramps and helps regulate blood pressure (Iimura et al. 19814).
Besides, grass-fed butter and ghee in Bulletproof Coffee provide a stunning range of nutrients:
- A, D, E, and K vitamins
- Beta-carotene
- Omega-3 fatty acids
- Conjugated linoleic acid
- Butyrates
Butyrates are short-chain fatty acids consumed by intestinal bacteria and contribute to better gut health.
Since they do not require digestive enzymes for metabolization, they can provide a rapid energy boost, similar to MCTs.
Regarding nutrients, butter or ghee in coffee is crucial – especially if the cows nourished themselves on grass.
Not only does grass-fed butter contain more vitamins, but it also provides a wide range of healthy fatty acids.
For example, it contains about six times more conjugated linoleic acid than butter from grain-fed cows (Dhiman et al. 19995).
Since this fatty acid helps to replace body fat with lean mass, Bulletproof Coffee promotes weight loss. Furthermore, conjugated linoleic acid helps prevent heart disease, cancer, and diabetes (McCrorie et al. 20116).
4. Satiety
Supporters of Bulletproof Coffee report that it suppresses the appetite and helps to feel full for much longer.
On the one hand, butter coffee contains a large amount of fat, naturally promoting satiety (Marciani et al. 20147).
For example, it stimulates the secretion of leptin and cholecystokinin (CCK) – satiety hormones that reduce food intake (McLaughlin et al. 19988).
On the other hand, coconut oil or MCT oil provides a significant amount of these medium-chain triglycerides, which promote the feeling of satiety more than long-chain triglycerides (LCTs).
For example, such LCTs are found in other oils, nuts, or meat (St-Onge et al. 20029).
Accordingly, one study showed that men who consumed 22 grams of MCT oil in the morning for four weeks finished 220 calories less at lunchtime and burned body fat more efficiently than others who consumed LCTs (St-Onge et al. 200310).
5. Caffeine
It keeps you awake, and caffeine boosts metabolism and fat burning (Acheson et al. 198011).
So when you combine coffee with the benefits of grass-fed ghee and MCT oil, you get a powerful blend that provides a sustained energy boost and keeps you full for hours.
In addition to MCT oil, the caffeine in Bulletproof Coffee can also improve concentration, performance, and alertness (Glade 201012).
6. Focus
One of the well-known benefits of Bulletproof Coffee is mental clarity. Besides caffeine, it is mainly MCT oil that sharpens cognitive abilities.
For example, studies show a strong link between the brain and gut health (Zhou et al. 201513).
Since ketones are an essential energy source for the brain, it is beneficial for mental performance to replace carbohydrates with fats and enter ketosis (Schönfeld et al. 201614).
7. Disease
Studies suggest that coffee can prevent the following diseases (Higdon et al. 200615):
- Type-2-diabetes
- Parkinson
- Liver diseases
Also, the conjugated linoleic acid from grass-fed butter or ghee has a preventive effect against the following diseases (Moon 201416):
- Arteriosclerosis
- Insulin Resistance
- Cancer
Finally, MCTs can also support gut health and reduce inflammation. Similarly, coconut oil is considered a natural antibiotic that can fight harmful bacteria while maintaining the good bacteria in the gut (Shilling et al. 201317).
Bulletproof Coffee (Keto)
Ingredients
- 2½ Tablespoons Coffee freshly ground
- 1-2 Tablespoons MCT Oil or Coconut Oil
- 1-2 Tablespoons Grass-Fed Ghee or Butter
Instructions
- Brew a cup of coffee using 2 ½ tablespoons of freshly ground coffee beans.
- Add 1 teaspoon to 2 tablespoons of MCT oil. Start with 1 teaspoon and work your way up to 1-2 tablespoons over several days.
- Add 1-2 tablespoons of grass-fed butter or ghee.
- Mix everything in a blender for 20-30 seconds until it looks like a creamy latte.
More Keto Coffee Recipe Ideas
You can experiment with the Bulletproof Coffee recipe on keto if you stay within your nutritional ambitions.
Popular Keto-friendly additives include:
- Natural cocoa powder
- Cocoa butter
- Whipped cream
- Coconut milk
- Celtic sea salt or pink Himalaya salt
Although I would avoid salted butter, high-quality salt can bring essential electrolytes into the coffee and thus counteract the side effects of intermittent fasting and the keto flu.
How to Make Vegan Bulletproof Coffee
The question about a vegan Bulletproof Coffee variant comes up again and again. Although the nutrient boost of grass-fed butter is lost, there is also vegan Bulletproof Coffee.
Since the creamy part is missing butter or ghee, the following vegan substitutes can help out:
- Cocoa butter
- Pecan butter
- Almond butter
- Almond paste
- Coconut milk
Thus, you can prepare vegan Bulletproof Coffee at home as well.
Conclusion
Bulletproof Coffee can stimulate metabolism and offer performance benefits.
Accordingly, the powerhouse of nutrients from grass-fed butter and MCTs from coconut oil is enjoying great popularity.
If prepared correctly, keto coffee can help to burn more fat. Also, it’s ideal for starting intermittent fasting or a ketogenic diet.
Nevertheless, at some point, it is time to write off the training wheels. If you have been 16/8 intermittent fasting for some time, you won’t need an additional energy supply in the morning anymore.
Then, enriching your coffee with fat as an energy source is no longer necessary.
Accordingly, I use Bulletproof Coffee, somewhat depending on the situation. If there is no time for a meal, Bulletproof Coffee can help you feel satiated, energized, and focused in no time.
Nevertheless, many people do not want to miss it daily. Because the mixture of ghee and MCT oil not only tastes delicious but also supplies extremely high-quality fatty acids.
However, experienced keto dieters and fasting enthusiasts can benefit from the satisfying and energizing effect of Bulletproof Coffee again and again.
For example, they start a new intermittent fasting schedule like One Meal A Day (OMAD).
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
What does bulletproof coffee do to your body?
Bulletproof Coffee ☕ provides energy, nutrients, satiety, and focus and helps to lose weight and prevent modern diseases.
What's the point of bulletproof coffee?
Bulletproof Coffee is a coffee drink with 🧈 butter or ghee and 🥥 coconut or MCT oil, which promotes energy, focus, and satiety. Therefore, it’s popular with the keto diet and intermittent fasting.
When should I drink bulletproof coffee?
There are two significant times to drink Bulletproof Coffee ☕: In the morning as a substitute for breakfast and in case you want to prolong a fasting period.
Is bulletproof coffee good for weight loss?
Since ☕ Bulletproof Coffee is free of refined carbohydrates and sugar while supplying healthy fats, it keeps insulin low and enables fat burning.
Does bulletproof coffee stop fat burning?
Bulletproof Coffee has been designed to maintain the fat-burning state of ketosis.
Is putting butter in coffee healthy?
Butter coffee can be healthy if you do not pair it with carbs, such as cake.
Is bulletproof coffee good for stomach?
Keto coffee is packed with easily digestible short- and medium-chain fatty acids.
Is it OK to drink bulletproof coffee everyday?
You can drink butter coffee every day, but remember that you must also burn its calories.
Is bulletproof coffee good for inflammation?
Butter coffee can help reduce inflammation.
References
#1-7
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Stephan is a writer and a true man of science, holding multiple diplomas and master's degrees in different research areas. His greatest passion is closing the gap between the conventional perception of health and the latest scientific evidence – always following the data.
