There are more benefits of Bulletproof coffee than just being creamy & delicious!
Is putting butter in your morning cup-of-joe the secret to health or a one-way ticket to heart disease? Here are 9 healthy benefits of bulletproof coffee you won’t want to miss.
Bulletproof coffee has been all the rage these days, and for good reasons. I won’t lie; the sound of mixing butter into my coffee and it being healthy sounded way too good to be true. As a health junkie, I needed to see what was so special about bulletproof coffee?
The following morning I got up frantically after sleeping past my alarm and rushed downstairs to the kitchen to make my cup of coffee. I knew I didn’t have time to make breakfast, so I thought this was the perfect time to try bulletproof coffee. I brewed a cup, threw in a tablespoon of butter, and turned on the blender to create my fat-filled coffee. I poured it into my thermos and ran out the door to my 8:00 am class.
What Is Bulletproof Coffee?
Ok, so what is this butter in coffee thing all about? Bulletproof coffee is traditionally made with 2 tablespoons of grass-fed butter and 1 tablespoon of MCT oil (some people use 2 tablespoons).
You can adjust these ratios if you don’t feel like you need two tablespoons of each. I cut the recipe in half and still feel all the benefits!
Brew yourself a cup of coffee and add in the butter and MCT in a blender cup. Blend the creamy concoction up, pour it in your favorite mug and drink up!
If you want to get a delicious Bulletproof coffee recipe, check out this coconut Bulletproof coffee recipe!
1. Get In Your Healthy Fats
If you are wondering, “how is Bulletproof coffee healthy?” I don’t blame you. Adding butter into your coffee doesn’t sound like the epitome of health to most people. Aren’t fats bad for you?
You have been lied to, my friend. Fats have gotten a bad reputation, and it spread like wildfire. For decades, we have been told that fat is the enemy.
The craze of low-fat and zero-fat products lined the shelves of the grocery isles, and if you had the option, it was “healthier” to go with the reduced-fat option. I’m sorry to break it to you; if you are going to eat a Twinkie, choosing the low-fat option won’t cancel out the fact that you are still eating a Twinkie.
The real problem is that all fats were made out to be the bad guy. In reality, we need healthy fats in our diet! Yes, even butter.
I can understand why many are scared of fats because they are 9 calories per gram versus carbohydrates and proteins being 4 calories per gram. However, this can work in our favor because fats are responsible for keeping us full.
Healthy fats from avocados, olive oil, grass-fed dairy products, and other sources provide tons of benefits! It gives you the energy you need throughout the day, can prevent lifestyle diseases, and even help absorb essential vitamins and minerals.
When choosing fats, it is all about the source. It is important to take a peek at the ingredients and see if there are added preservatives or vegetable oils. Try buying grass-fed butter on your next grocery store run!
2. Keep You Full
We shouldn’t be afraid of incorporating healthy fats into our diet because they keep us fuller for longer! Adding butter and MCT oil to our coffee can help stop the cycle of constantly grazing on snacks throughout our day because we are hungry.
Fats take longer to digest than carbs or protein, causing us to feel satiated faster. Incorporating healthy fats into our diet can help curb cravings and tendencies to overeat. Who wouldn’t want to beat the afternoon munchies or midnight snack habit?
Plus, drinking this healthy fat bomb in the morning can set you up for success during the rest of your day because you are more satiated, you will be more likely to eat healthier portion sizes for your body.
Having some healthy fats in the morning or as your mid-afternoon pick me up is the perfect snack to curb your appetite. You probably won’t be as tempted to eat the sweet treats your coworker brings into your office every day.
That is the beauty of being aligned with your body’s natural fullness cues. It will be less likely you overeat, and if you choose to have the cupcake your coworker brought in, you know you are in control of your food choices and just wanted to treat yourself. 🙂
Although, if you are looking for a sweet treat, why not satisfy that sweet tooth with your Bulletproof coffee. Check out this Bulletproof coffee hack video if you are missing the sweetness in your coffee.
3. Promotes Ketosis
The benefits of Bulletproof coffee are most commonly heard of in the Keto diet space. People who follow a keto diet stick to a low-carb, high-fat diet.
Followers of the keto diet try to state in a state of ketosis. Ketosis is when your body isn’t getting enough fuel from carbohydrates, so it turns to stored fat to burn for energy. The fat gets broken down, ketones are produced, and used as an energy source by the body.
Drinking Bulletproof coffee is an excellent option for keto-lovers because it allows them to get in their healthy fat source first thing in the morning. If you are interested in learning more about the keto diet, Amy wrote a fantastic post about starting the keto diet for beginners.
Butter and MCT oil are low-carb and don’t spike your insulin. This combo is exactly what people are striving for to get in a state of ketosis want.
If you didn’t know, the term Bulletproof coffee is actually trademarked, and Dave Asprey coined the term. According to an article written on the Bulletproof website MCT oil, “rapidly converts to ketones, which are an alternative to the glucose your body usually uses for fuel. Ketones affect hunger hormones to curb your appetite. Your brain loves ketones, which is why keto dieters report better mental clarity when they’re in ketosis” (Apel).
Bulletproof coffee is a perfect drink for people on the keto diet to keep them full and to stay in a state of ketosis.
4. Perfect for Intermittent Fasting
I love intermittent fasting and utilize the benefits of Bulletproof coffee during the times I am fasting. If you want to learn more about intermittent fasting, I wrote a blog post about how to start intermittent fasting for beginners you can check out.
Intermittent fasting is a way of eating where you switch between periods of fasting and feeding. The typical time frame is a 16/8 window. I follow 16 hours of fasting and an 8-hour eating window.
I know it can sound really intimidating at first, but it is all about choosing the correct times. I place my eating window to start at 12:00 pm and end at 8:00 pm. This allows me to have time after waking up and before I go to sleep to digest and fast.
I use Bulletproof coffee in the mornings to keep me full during my fasting window without spiking my insulin and breaking my fast. You might be thinking, “are you really fasting because butter and MCT have calories in them?”
It is best to go straight to the source with this, the Bulletproof blog. In an article about intermittent fasting, Courtney Sperlazza says, “The good news is that there’s no scientific reason to completely restrict calories to reap the benefits of intermittent fasting. If you only consume fat (no protein or carbs) during your fast, you won’t interrupt autophagy. You’ll also stay in the fat-burning state of ketosis” (Sperlazza).
The benefits of Bulletproof coffee aren’t just exclusive for people on the keto diet. Intermittent fasters can reap the benefits of bulletproof coffee while fasting!
5. Can Help You Lose Weight
Remember how I’ve been preaching that fats keep you full? Yep, Bulletproof coffee can help you lose weight by filling you up for fewer calories than a full meal.
If you choose to eat a large, carb-filled breakfast, it won’t keep you full for long. This is unfortunate because you are eating the calories without the benefits of sustained energy.
The first meal of the day is crucial to setting up the rest of your day on the right foot. Eating a calorie-dense breakfast that doesn’t fill you up can cause you to overeat for the rest of the day because you didn’t give your body the proper fuel it needed.
However, suppose you incorporate healthy fats into your first meal. In that case, you will feel satisfied, and it will you over until your next meal, reducing the amount of unnecessary snacking throughout the day.
Eating less at meals and less snacking equals lower calories being consumed throughout your day. One of the ways to lose weight is to create a calorie deficit.
The calories in versus calories out formula can be beneficial to aid weight loss. Therefore, if you swap your calorie-rich breakfast with a filling cup of Bulletproof coffee, you could cut calories and put yourself in a calorie deficit without even trying.
6. On The Go
Like the story mentioned above, I frequently sleep through my alarms and wake up in a panic with less than 30 minutes to get ready, eat breakfast, and run to my class. Bad habit, I know.
I practice intermittent fasting, so I usually never eat breakfast anyway. However, the problem is that when my stomach is hungry, it lets anybody and everybody know.
I’m talking about the grumbling stomach noises that make people turn around in their seats to see what that noise was. I’m telling you, it is not pretty.
This is why taking Bulletproof coffee with me in the mornings to class is the perfect solution to curb my hunger and continue fasting. Plus, there are no loud wrappers or crunching to disrupt a silent class involved.
It is so easy to whip up in the morning and head out the door in less than 5 minutes. Bulletproof coffee has been my go-to on my busy days.
If you are not a morning person like me, or you always seem to be rushing out the door to take your kiddos to school, try making a cup of Bulletproof coffee. You won’t get hangry, and you won’t regret it!
7. Reduce Soreness
If you like to exercise, you know how soreness can ruin a workout. Bulletproof coffee can actually help with soreness! The health benefits of Bulletproof coffee just keep getting better!
As you know, Bulletproof coffee contains MCT oil. MCT oil is jam-packed with benefits from fat-burning to even reducing lactate buildup, which makes us sore.
In an article by Healthline, Sharon O’Brien shares that “During exercise, rising lactate levels can negatively impact exercise performance. Interestingly, MCTs may help reduce lactate buildup. One older study found that athletes who took 6 grams or about 1.5 teaspoons of MCTs with food before cycling had lower lactate levels and found it easier to exercise, compared to those taking LCTs (14)” (O’Brien).
Talk about a superfood! I can attest to this study because not only does Bulletproof coffee keep me full during my fasted workouts, it also seems to keep me energized and high-performing throughout the duration of the exercise.
8. Energy Booster
I know I sound like a broken record at this point, but fats really pack a punch with all the benefits they provide. Fats are a great source of energy to keep you moving throughout the day.
Any food you give to your body must be broken down to be digested, absorbed, and used as fuel. Carbohydrates are broken down into glucose, which is your body’s primary source of energy.
As mentioned above, when your body doesn’t have enough carbs, it turns to mobilizing fats for energy. MCT oil is different, however, as it doesn’t go through the same lengthy process of digestion as most other fats.
Sharon O’Brien also writes that “MCTs easily enter your cells without being broken down, they can be used as an immediate source of energy (13). When you’re on a ketogenic diet, MCTs can also be converted into ketones in the liver. These ketones can pass through your blood-brain barrier, making them a source of energy for your brain cells” (O’Brien).
Bulletproof coffee is truly a double-whammy because it can give you quick energy while keeping you full. It can give you the energy you need, without a sugar-crash you would get from a carb or sugar-heavy snack.
9. Brain Juice
Bulletproof coffee can also help with focus and memory! In addition to all the benefits listed above, Fats are essential to have in your diet because we need fats for our brain health!
Omega-3 fatty acids are critical for a healthy brain. These fatty acids are found in high concentrations in salmon, nuts, and even grass-fed butter!
Foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids help to protect and cushion nerves in the spinal cord and brain. It is also necessary to compose the myelin sheath, which transmits electrical signals from cell to cell.
It is better to use grass-fed butter in your Bulletproof coffee if you can to soak in all the benefits. We aren’t trying to counteract the effects of Bulletproof coffee by putting I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter in our coffee.
Grass-fed butter is less processed and more nutritious than typical butter. Makayla Meixner explains “
For example, grass-fed butter is higher in omega-3 fatty acids. These are thought to have anti-inflammatory properties and have been linked to many health benefits. One analysis found that grass-fed butter provides about 26% more omega-3 fatty acids than regular butter, on average (7)” (Meixner).
Final Thoughts On The Benefits of Bulletproof Coffee
I was sipping on creamy deliciousness while speed walking to my class, and what do you know? For the first time, I didn’t distract my peers with loud grumblings from my stomach during Organic Chemistry.
Usually, by the time I get done with my back-to-back classes, I am ravenous. This time, I was hungry, yes, but I wasn’t ready to eat Thanksgiving dinner like I usually was. I even noticed I had more energy and focused during my classes. I was hooked, and I have been drinking Bulletproof coffee ever since!
Hopefully, after those nine reasons, you are convinced that butter in coffee isn’t as scary of a thing as you thought. The health benefits of Bulletproof coffee are endless, and I could go on, but I don’t want to bore you because I think you get the point.
I love Bulletproof coffee and how it makes me feel, and I hope this post inspired you to try it out for yourself. Let me know in the comments if you drink Bulletproof coffee and your experience with it!
Hey ya’ll! My name is Julia and I’m a senior nutrition science major at Texas A&M University. I’m a lover of learning and am always trying to provide science-backed information to help people reach their health goals. If you love freebies, I have a resource library full or printables to help you along your health journey you can check out!
Cited Sources
Apel, Molly. “Is Bulletproof Coffee Good for You? Why You Want Quality Fats in Your Coffee.” Bulletproof, 23 Oct. 2020, www.bulletproof.com/diet/is-bulletproof-coffee-good-for-you/.
Meixner, Makayla. “7 Health Benefits of Grass-Fed Butter.” Healthline, Healthline Media, 28 May 2019, www.healthline.com/nutrition/grass-fed-butter#TOC_TITLE_HDR_2.
O’Brien, Sharon. “7 Science-Based Benefits of MCT Oil.” Healthline, Healthline Media, 11 Nov. 2020, www.healthline.com/nutrition/mct-oil-benefits#TOC_TITLE_HDR_5.
Sperlazza, Courtney. “Can I Drink Bulletproof Coffee on an Intermittent Fast?” Bulletproof, 29 Jan. 2020, www.bulletproof.com/diet/bulletproof-diet/bulletproof-coffee-intermittent-fasting/.
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