Fact or Fiction: Bulletproof Coffee

Simplifying the science behind bulletproof coffee.

One of my friends is a fitness trend junkie and he relays some info to me about what’s the latest thing. I’ve been pretty slow on the uptake about bulletproof coffee. Butter and coconut oil instead of cream and sugar in your coffee to avoid the caffeine crash and other negative side effects? Questionable.

What is it?

8 oz. coffee + 1 tbs. grass-fed butter + 1 tbs. coconut oil = Bulletproof Coffee

I tried the concoction several times and it tastes similar to a creamy coconut cappuccino. I didn’t get the jitters or the crash that I expected.

So it works, but why?

According to the Bulletproof Exec, the creator of bulletproof coffee, this is what the science says here. To cut to the quick, it emphasizes 3 things:

1. Coffee in moderate amounts is good for you
2. High quality coffee beans are better than low quality coffee beans
3. High quality butter and MCT (medium chain triglycerides) are “healthy fats”

Well, the site doesn’t really answer the question but I didn’t expect much. It just says you have to try it because it’s good for you and it’s amazing. So I had to do my own research and ask around.

What’s so important about the ingredients?

Get high quality coffee beans. It’s wise to get the best coffee beans you can if you are particular about flavor but most people can’t tell the difference. If you brew your own coffee, almost any type of bean will give a similar result. Don’t steep the beans too long as that is what imparts the bitterness more than the type or brand of coffee.

Cream and sugar are out. Sugar is the key player and “enemy” if you believe mainstream science. It speeds up absorption of caffeine which is why you get that quick rush, but it also leaves the bloodstream at the same rate, so you get that huge crash afterwards. The cream is usually processed which removes some of its nutritional value, but aside from that, it’s not much different from butter and coconut oil.

Butter and coconut oil is in. Saturated fats are no longer “bad fats” but are now considered “healthy fats” because it’s a MCT (medium chain triglyceride). Adding fats instead of sugar slows down the absorption of caffeine into your system so there isn’t an exponential increase and decrease of energy in your body. Since it’s less processed, the fats are easier for the body to recognize, break down, and utilize. Plus, the saturated fats don’t lead to increased blood pressure or cholesterol levels.

How does bulletproof coffee work in your system?

The emulsion created with the coffee and fats extracts caffeine from the coffee and encapsulates it in the fats. Think of it like a bucket of water balloons with the caffeine = water and balloons = fats. As your body absorbs the coffee, the encapsulated caffeine would act as a slow time-release capsule which controls the amount of caffeine entering your system. Therefore, you don’t get the huge splurge and crash of energy because your body is absorbing the caffeine at a slower rate. Because of this process, the caffeine rush lasts longer.

Theoretically.

Conclusion

Bulletproof coffee is a better alternative to regular coffee with cream and sugar. The negative side effects of caffeine are minimized by the saturated fats in the butter and coconut oil. So, if you like having coffee with a few additives, bulletproof coffee may give you the extra pep in your step that you desire.