Bulletproof coffee is also known as Butter Coffee or Keto Coffee. It is an energizing beverage made of ample fats. It can be had as a replacement for a heavy carbohydrate breakfast. This coffee keeps the person filled and active for hours. It was first introduced by Dave Asprey, the bulletproof coffee founder, and a Silicon Valley entrepreneur. Dave Asprey got inspired by Tibetans who had been drinking yak butter tea for centuries.
It complements different types of intake, like low-carb, paleo, intermittent fasting, ketogenic diets, and others. It helps the person feel satisfied.
Bulletproof coffee ingredients
- 1 cup brewed coffee
- 1 tsp to tbsp MCT oil or coconut oil
- 1-2 tbsp, grass-fed, unsalted butter or ghee
Bulletproof coffee nutrition facts
A cup of bulletproof coffee would approximately consist of the following nutrients:
- Calories: 445 cal
- Carbs: 0 grams
- Protein: 0 grams
- Fiber: 0 grams
- Total fat: 50 grams
- Sodium: 9% of the RDI
- Vitamin A: 20% of the RDI
RDI-Reference Daily Intake.
Calorie breakdown: 99% fat, 0% carbs, 0% protein.
How it works
Why coffee?
Many get to dwell on the flavor of the coffee. Caffeine doesn’t only taste good, but keeps alert and also stimulates the physical metabolism. This helps in burning fat. It is a rich source of antioxidants.
MCT oil
MCT stands for Medium-Chain Triglycerides. This oil is mostly extracted from coconut oil and also in some cases from palm oil and dairy products. It is a supplement added to many foods like salads, smoothies, and coffee.
The oil helps the body produce ketones. Ketone is a form of energy source important for your brain that does not come from carbohydrates. The oil consists of fatty acids that help in boosting energy.
The process – ’ketosis’
When the body feels the scarcity of glucose (to convert into energy), fat is burnt in place of glucose. In this process, ketones are produced. The main purpose of a ketogenic diet is to let the body starve carbohydrates and initiate ketosis by burning high-fat content.
Why grass-fed ghee or unsalted butter?
Ghee is nothing but clarified butter. It comprises fat along with an ample amount of nutrients and vitamins. It is a keto-friendly food consisting of minimal traces of carbohydrates. This way ghee adds to some of the key bulletproof coffee benefits.
Bulletproof coffee Benefits
Antioxidants
- Coffee
Chlorogenic acids are health-promoting antioxidants from the intake of coffee. This increases the energy level and promotes fat burning and helps the person to be active.
- Ghee
Ghee provides a higher amount of rich antioxidants, that includes beta-carotene. These antioxidants protect the body from free radicals and also prevent cell and tissue damage not leading to many diseases.
Healthy gut
Ghee is rich in butyric acid. Butyric acid is a short-chain fatty acid very essential for a healthy gut. It helps maintain the digestive system by keeping the walls of the intestines in good form and intact. Also controls improper cell growth inside the colon.
Anti-inflammatory properties
Butyric acid is known for its anti-inflammatory properties and thus it is used in Ayurvedic medicine to treat burns. Omega-3 also provides anti-inflammatory properties. Omega-3 from ghee and MCT raises high heart-protective HDL (good) cholesterol and lowers bad cholesterol reducing inflammation.
Reduce heart disease
Omega-3 fatty acids are good for heart health. Conjugated linoleic acid replaces saturated fats and reduces LDL cholesterol, therefore, regulating the HDL and maintaining the heart in a good state.
Keto diet
Bulletproof coffee benefits people on the keto diet by providing a good amount of fat needed during the diet. It also helps in maintaining the process. MCT oil induces nutritional ketosis and thus reduces the chance of ‘keto flu,’ symptoms related to transitioning to the ketogenic diet.
Feeling full
Bullet coffee would help hold the person to maintain the diet by giving the feeling of fullness. The individual would not feel hungry for a good amount of time.
Reduce fat
The feeling of fullness would stop hunger. Reduces unnecessary food consumption. Ketosis induces metabolism resulting in the burning of excess fat. CLA (Conjugated Linoleic Acid) is a fatty acid from ghee and MCT that helps people lower their body fat percentage and prevent excess weight gain.
Downline of bullet coffee
Despite the benefits of bullet coffee, we need to look deep down for the nutrition part. The availability of nutrition level in a cup of bulletproof coffee is minimal and sometimes fails to meet the daily need. There is no doubt a bullet coffee gives an immediate boost in energy along with benefits from MCT oil and grass-fed ghee. The question is the coverage of daily essential nutrients in the diet. It is better to consider bulletproof coffee as a part of breakfast and not as the main course.