Bulletproof Coffee: What’s the hype?

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    Many people love coffee.  Many people also love butter.  So, what better way to be efficient than to put your butter IN your coffee and drink it?  No brainer, right?!

    There’s actually a little more to it than that, but “butter coffee” is what most people who aren’t familiar with the Bulletproof brand would call this concoction, and that’s what I’ll be referencing it as in this article.  This article will focus on the do’s and don’ts when it comes to making your own butter coffee.

    First, fundamentally what is butter coffee?  It’s a biohack that people who want to feel more energy and/or maintain a state of constant ketosis drink along with other dietary measures that make up the ketogenic diet.  People like it because it keeps you full, tastes great, and helps amplify the effects of intermittent fasting and ketosis.

    The beverage is made by combining a few different ingredients.  I’ll also get into how you can customize your beverage even more, for added flavor and health benefits.  But for starters you will need the following:

  • Coffee (black with no additional flavoring or sugary syrups)
  • MCT (Oil) – short for “medium-chain triglycerides”, MCT oil is fat commonly found in things like coconut oil, whole milk & butter, with coconut oil being the richest source.  There are four main types : caprolic acid, caprylic acid, capric acid and lauric acid.  Unlike long and short-chain triglycerides, MCTs go straight to your liver for quick metabolization into energy or transformation into ketones.  Ketones are what is produced when the body wants to break down fat, and because they can cross the blood-brain barrier, they can serve as a mental energy source in place of the normal go-to, sugar.  MCT oil itself differs slightly from the MCTs derived directly from food.  The main difference is its highly concentrated nature and the fact that it’s man-made.  How you choose to add your MCTs is up to you, but you should most likely stick to either MCT Oil or to Coconut Oil. [2]  MCTs have been noted as having the ability to lower bad cholesterol as well as blood sugar.  There is also interest in MCTs and what role they play in prevention of brain-related diseases such as Alzheimer’s and age-related dementia.  
  • Grass-fed Butter or Ghee (if you are lactose-intolerant) – exactly what it sounds like.  Always go for grass-fed options where available

You can mix the ingredients in a blender if you like a bit of froth with your drinks, or you can do what I do and simply stir up the mixture with a spoon.  As always, certain brands of coffee are higher quality than others.  Try to go for the best quality you can, as this will only enhance the effects, whereas low-grade beans may have the opposite effect!  And, if you don’t like coffee very much don’t worry, you can add the butter and the MCT oil to other similar drinks like tea as well.  

    Now, if you like to customize things even more, I can suggest the following add-ons to your butter coffee, all of which I love and use regularly in mine.

  • Cinnamon – antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, lowers blood sugar
  • Nutmeg – pain relief, indigestion support, cognitive enhancement
  • Organic 100% cacao powder – improves cholesterol, lowers blood pressure
  • Honey – antioxidant, lowers blood pressure, improves cholesterol
  • Heavy whipping cream – full of various vitamins and minerals
  • Collagen powder – improves skin, prevents bone loss, improves muscle mass
  • Lavender or peppermint essential oils – anti-inflammatory, helps w/ IBS
  • Protein powder – building blocks of muscle

    And lastly, remember that no amount of add-ons will make butter coffee a substitute for a nutritious diet on the regular.  It may help you skip a meal or two, but you should always re-fuel yourself with healthy, whole foods following something like the ketogenic diet.

    So, I hope you are all getting ready for a trip to the grocery store to pick up ingredients after reading all this.  If you would like to learn more about butter coffee and other related protocols, I recommend checking out Dave Asprey’s (the father of biohacking) website bulletproof.com, as he is the one who brought this delicious beverage to the mainstream!

    Until next time, biohackers…

SOURCES

1 – https://www.bulletproof.com/recipes/bulletproof-diet-recipes/bulletproof-coffee-recipe/2 – https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/mct-oil-101#sources