Bulletproof coffee benefits: Is it really good for you?

In a nutshell

Bulletproof coffee is a drink made of coffee, unsalted grass-fed butter or ghee, and medium-chain triglyceride (MCT) oil. It was invented by the creator of the Bulletproof diet and quickly gained popularity among dieters, especially those following a keto diet. According to different studies, the primary bulletproof coffee benefits include:

• Improved cognitive function and mental clarity
• Sustained energy
• Appetite control
• Weight loss

If you are adept at a keto diet or just someone on a weight loss journey, chances are that you’ve heard about bulletproof coffee–a high-fat and rather high-calorie beverage thought to help lose weight and provide a wealth of benefits. But is it really that good for you? In this article, we’ll look at the nutritional breakdown of this beverage and tell you about the primary bulletproof coffee benefits and drawbacks to help you decide if it should be added to your daily diet.

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What Is Bulletproof Coffee?

Bulletproof coffee, also called butter coffee, is a high-calorie drink made based on coffee with added fat. This concept was invented by the creator of the Bulletproof diet, Dave Asprey. According to the original recipe, bulletproof coffee is made by mixing coffee, unsalted grass-fed butter or ghee, and medium-chain triglyceride (MCT) oil.

The main highlight of this kind of coffee is added fat and MCT oil, which is known for helping your body produce ketones, which are used as a source of energy in ketosis. Thanks to this, bulletproof coffee is especially popular among the adepts of a keto diet.

Bulletproof Coffee: Nutritional Breakdown

Bulletproof coffee is a high-calorie drink (due to added butter and MCT oil), still, it’s commonly used in a keto diet because of its zero-carb content.

Per one-cup serving (279 grams) of a bulletproof coffee you get:

• Calories: 327
• Total fat: 37 grams
• Saturated fat: 26 grams
• Trans fat: 0.9 grams
• Polyunsaturated fat: 1.1 grams
• Monounsaturated fat: 6.9 grams
• Cholesterol: 61 milligrams
• Sodium: 187 milligrams
• Total carbohydrates: 0 grams
• Fiber: 0 grams
• Sugars: 0 grams
• Protein: 0.5 grams
• Calcium: 12 milligrams
• Potassium: 122.8 milligrams
• Caffeine: 94.7 milligrams

Additionally, bulletproof coffee offers you a number of good nutrients sourced from its ingredients, including antioxidants from coffee and vitamins A, D, and K2 and CLA from grass-fed butter or ghee.

Bulletproof Coffee Benefits

After it was introduced, bulletproof coffee quickly became a popular beverage option among dieters. Thanks to its unique combination of ingredients, it’s believed to have a number of health benefits, such as:

Improved Mental Clarity and Cognitive Function

According to a study from BMC Geriatrics, MCTs can improve memory, mental clarity, and cognitive function. Caffeine is also shown to improve cognitive function in various brain-power-consuming tasks.

When blended in bulletproof coffee, caffeine and MCT oil can potentially increase your alertness, focus, and overall mental clarity.

Sustained Energy

Many people love to replace typical sugary breakfasts with bulletproof coffee thanks to its ability to provide sustained energy. Unlike sugars that digest fast and give you energy spikes followed by energy crashes, bulletproof coffee contains slow-digesting fats that can provide you with energy for a longer time without energy crashes.

Appetite Control

Studies reveal that MCTs are among the most satiating fatty acids. When added to coffee, MCT oil stimulates the production of ketones that fuel up your body and brain instead of glucose, as well as the production of leptin–the satiety hormone. Respectively, drinking bulletproof coffee can reduce the feeling of hunger and control your appetite.

Weight Loss Aid

One of the people’s all-time favorite bulletproof coffee benefits is its ability to stimulate metabolism and facilitate fat-burning. First of all, by stimulating the production of ketones, this beverage ultimately helps your body enhance ketosis, which is the main goal of a keto diet. In ketosis, your body starts burning fat instead of glucose and thus, lets you lose weight.

Additionally, clinical studies show that consumption of MCT oil leads to greater energy expenditure. Simply put, it stimulates your metabolism and makes you spend more calories, thus, supporting weight loss.

Bulletproof Coffee: Potential Downsides and Considerations

If you’ve been wondering “Is keto coffee good for you,” the short answer is “yes,” it might bring you a number of benefits, such as those mentioned above. Nevertheless, it shouldn’t be treated as a “magic pill” that solves all your problems.

In fact, consuming bulletproof coffee might also be associated with a number of downsides, such as:

Lack of Nutrients

As was mentioned earlier, bulletproof coffee is commonly used to replace meals, such as breakfast and hence, cut down the number of calories you consume during the day without experiencing energy crashes. While this tactic can work, it may not be the best long-term solution.

The thing is that bulletproof coffee indeed contains quite many calories, which should be enough to fuel you with energy and reduce appetite. Yet, it only provides you with plenty of fat and almost no additional nutrients. That is, replacing your meals with this drink can eventually lead to deficiencies in key nutrients, such as fiber.

Risk of Weight Gain

Although weight loss aid is one of the key bulletproof coffee benefits, it’s important to remember the high-calorie content of this drink. Containing as many as 327 calories per serving, bulletproof coffee can make it rather easy to take more calories during your day if you miscalculate calories. At the end of the day, regular consumption of this beverage with little control can make you end up not losing weight but gaining it. 

Increased Cholesterol Levels

An increased consumption of fats is one of the core principles of a keto diet. Despite this, most studies confirm that ketogenic diets typically don’t affect your cholesterol levels, which is not true when it comes to eating butter, in particular.

Studies show that regular consumption of butter significantly increases LDL cholesterol levels, more than the consumption of olive oil or coconut oil. That is, drinking bulletproof coffee, which contains butter, may affect your cholesterol levels too.

Can You Drink Bulletproof Coffee While Fasting?

As you already know, thanks to its high-fat and zero-carb content, bulletproof coffee is widely used by adepts of a keto diet. But what if you follow a different dietary approach, let’s say intermittent fasting? Is it okay to drink bulletproof coffee while fasting?

The opinions on this vary. On the one hand, many people claim that drinking bulletproof coffee during your fasting windows won’t break a fast. There are two reasons that justify this opinion:

1. Bulletproof coffee doesn’t contain carbohydrates, only fats. Respectively, it may not count as breaking a fast.
2. This beverage doesn’t contain sugar and, respectively, doesn’t cause insulin spikes.

What’s more, thanks to its ability to suppress appetite, bulletproof coffee can potentially let you have longer fasting windows and generally feel better in terms of hunger.

On the other hand, bulletproof coffee contains quite many calories. Technically, consuming anything that contains calories is considered breaking a fast. Respectively, steering clear of drinking this beverage is not a bad idea to stay on the safe side during your fasting windows. After all, most specialists say that you can only drink plain black coffee, tea, and water during fasting windows.

FAQ

What is bulletproof coffee?

Bulletproof coffee is a caffeinated beverage with a high content of calories and fat. Traditionally, it’s made with coffee, unsalted grass-fed butter or ghee, and medium-chain triglyceride (MCT) oil mixed in a blender. It’s widely used in a ketogenic diet.

What are the bulletproof coffee benefits?

Thanks to a combination of caffeine and MCT oil, bulletproof coffee has been shown to boost cognitive function, focus, and mental clarity. Also, thanks to a high content of slow-digesting fats and calories, it can provide sustained energy, help control appetite, and aid in the weight loss process.

Does bulletproof coffee help you lose weight?

There are a few ways in which this beverage can help you lose weight. Thanks to the MCT oil contained in it, bulletproof coffee stimulates ketosis, which burns fat. It also causes the production of the satiety hormone leptin, helping you reduce the feeling of hunger. Additionally, it gives you sustained energy through slow-digesting fats, thus, preventing energy crashes and potentially helping you feel better on your diet.

Can I drink bulletproof coffee while fasting?

The opinions on this vary. Some say that thanks to containing no carbs, bulletproof coffee is safe during fasting windows. Yet, since breaking a fast technically means consuming calories, this high-calorie beverage may not be the best choice for your fasting windows, though you can consume it during eating windows.

Conclusion

Bulletproof coffee is a high-fat, high-calorie beverage that helps your body get into the state of ketosis and burn fat for energy. Thanks to this property, it’s widely used in keto diets.

The main bulletproof coffee benefits include weight loss, mental clarity, sustained energy, and appetite suppression. While these perks can be quite beneficial in the weight loss process, it’s important to remember that this beverage also has some drawbacks, such as the ability to boost cholesterol levels and the risk of weight gain if you miscalculate your daily caloric deficit. Hence, using it should be moderate and thoughtful.

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