Bulletproof coffee

Bulletproof coffee, also known as butter coffee, is a high calorie drink made with added fats, intended to fuel your start to the day. It was created by the originator of the Bulletproof Diet, Dave Asprey, an American entrepreneur and author. The drink has become popular with low carb dieters and followers of ketogenic eating plans. Read on to discover the research behind the health claims, who shouldn’t be drinking it, and how to make bulletproof coffee at home.

Discover our full range of health benefit guides and also check out some of our coffee recipes, including delicious drinks and bakes.

Bulletproof coffee combines coffee, made from high quality beans, with unsalted butter and a medium chain triglyceride (MCT), such as that derived from coconut oil. The ingredients are blended together, served warm and resemble a creamy latte.

When do you drink

Many high-carb, heavily processed breakfast options such as cereals, toast or pastries provide a quick energy boost, but may disrupt blood sugar and leave us craving another sweet fix. Dave Asprey argues that bulletproof coffee provides the fuel to start your day, whilst offering a low-carb alternative to carb-laden breakfasts.

What are the potential benefits

Although there’s been plenty of research into coffee consumption in general, there have been few studies specifically looking at the effects of bulletproof coffee, so more research is needed before we can draw any firm conclusions.

Bulletproof coffee is claimed to help you feel satiated, alert and focused. Although, there have currently been no specific studies relating to bulletproof coffee, it’s well documented that drinking coffee in the morning may help you feel more awake and alert, improve short term recall and reaction time, thus improving performance, with effects potentially lasting a few hours.

Research also suggests that normal caffeine intake has an effect on increasing resting metabolic rate and thermogenesis (our bodies’ process of producing heat).

Key componenets of bulletproof coffee include fats from butter and MCT oil. It’s claimed this will quash appetite, stabilise hunger and provide calories to fuel your morning. As well as being calorie-rich, butter supplies fat soluble vitamins including A, D and K, is a source of gut-friendly butyrate and supplies conjugated fats, which may help improve body fat composition.

For those following a low-carb, high-fat diet, bulletproof coffee fits the ketogenic style of eating because it contains no carbs and the body converts the MCT oil to ketones. This effect is thought to be more effective in the absence of a meal.

MCT oil is metabolised by the liver and absorbed quickly by the body, thus supplying a ready source of energy. This makes it potentially useful for that seeking weight loss, although more studies are needed to validate these findings.

BBC Food