Bulletproof coffee, a type of keto drink, is a fad that blends coffee, grass-fed cow butter, and medium-chain triglyceride (MCT) oil. But the side effects of bulletproof coffee may outweigh its health benefits.
The high saturated fat count of bulletproof coffee due to butter and MCTs is enough to express concerns about the heart and overall health. There isn’t much scientific evidence to back up the claim that this drink has health benefits.
What is bulletproof coffee?
The bulletproof coffee originated when businessman Dave Asprey returned from a trip to Nepal, where he drank yak butter tea while meditating. Asprey wanted to create something similar, and he came up with what he called the bulletproof coffee recipe, something that had a hint of caffeine along with a dose of fat.
Bulletproof coffee ingredients include a blend of coffee, butter, and MCT oil (or coconut oil) . It generally has the taste and appearance of an oily latte. The idea was that coffee or tea mixed with some form of fat or oil could provide a dose of energy, increase mental focus, and even help you lose weight by tilting your body into a state of ketosis.
Fashion quickly caught on, and now bulletproof cafes can be found in the form of supplements and various products, both online and in stores, and you can even make your own. As long as it’s a cup of coffee or tea with some kind of fat, like heavy cream or coconut oil, it’s considered a bulletproof coffee recipe.
With its claims of improving cognition, digestive health, and weight loss, bulletproof coffee has grown into a multi-billion dollar industry that affects keto communities or people looking for low carb diets.
What are the benefits?
This drink is known for the potential benefits of regular MCT butter and oil consumption, but there really aren’t too many studies to support it. These beneficial fatty acids help prevent infections of the gastrointestinal tract, particularly in older adults and very young children.
The omega-3 and omega-6 fats in butter cause your body to metabolize caffeine more slowly , so that you enjoy more energy for a longer period of time. This could also qualify as one of the benefits of bulletproof coffee.
With MCT, which is in coconut oil, you don’t store this fat around your muscles like you do with other dietary fats. Instead, MCTs accelerate directly to your liver, where they transform into ketone bodies that provide energy.
If you experience cognitive decline that affects your ability to break down the glucose that your body feeds, your brain can enlist these ketone bodies as an energy source. In some cases, people with cognitive disabilities who ingest MCT demonstrate a rapid improvement in their mental function.
Bulletproof Coffee Side Effects
Regular black coffee has some health benefits, such as reducing the risk of type 2 diabetes, helping you lose weight, and improving cognitive health. But claims about bulletproof coffee, such as being good for digestion, mental clarity, and weight loss, have yet to be confirmed.
The ketogenic diet focuses on consuming high levels of fat and protein, and few or no carbohydrates. The idea is to bring your body into a state of ketosis, which is supposed to help you burn fat and lose weight faster. The idea behind bulletproof coffee ingredients, butter and other fats, is to propel the body into a state of ketosis.
There is some evidence that the keto diet could protect brain health, reduce epileptic seizures, and balance blood sugar among people with diabetes. However, there is still a lot to explore when it comes to the keto diet and its potential health benefits.
The University of California, San Francisco notes that many claims about the benefits of the keto diet, such as cognitive gains or improved kidney health, still lack real data. And some of the research showing benefits, such as the role of the keto diet in reducing brain inflammation or increasing life expectancy, has only been shown in mice.
It is not the bulletproof coffee in coffee that can pose problems; It is the high content of saturated fat in the form of butters and oils . Since many bulletproof coffee recipes call for up to 2 tablespoons or more of butter and two tablespoons of MCT oil, you could drink up to 43 grams of saturated fat in one go.
You should consume much less than 43 grams of saturated fat a day; in fact, experts recommend eating only 13 grams of saturated fat per day. In the long term, the side effects of bulletproof coffee could affect your cardiovascular system.
This is because saturated fat has been linked to heart problems like high cholesterol and cardiovascular disease. A June 2017 study, published in Circulation, found that people who eliminated saturated fat from their diets and replaced polyunsaturated vegetable oil reduced their risk of cardiovascular disease by 30 percent.
In summary, fewer saturated fats and healthier fats like monounsaturated fats support heart health. Monounsaturated fats can lower bad cholesterol and provide nutrients for cells. Saturated fats , meanwhile , can cause bad cholesterol buildup and weight gain.
MCTs are one of the main bulletproof coffee ingredients. They are made from vegetable oils to form triacylglycerols and can be found in coconut oil or palm kernel oil. Some research has shown that MCTs could help control weight, according to a 2015 meta-analysis published in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, although more research is needed to cement that link.
Because of this, MCTs have been explored as potential tools to help people with gastrointestinal disorders. Quick access to the liver and its use for energy also makes them possibly beneficial for losing fat and maintaining satiety.
Coconut oil, for example, contains many MCTs. It’s also rich in saturated fat: About 80 to 90 percent of coconut oil is made up of saturated fat, according to Harvard Health Publishing. Also, part of the health folly surrounding coconut oil may be a bit of a stretch, noting that many coconut oils in stores contain lauric acid in addition to MCT.
Unlike MCTs, lauric acid takes longer to be metabolized by the body . This leaves many unanswered questions about whether coconut oil is really healthier for you than other types of oil, such as olive oil.
Healthier ways to drink coffee
There are ways to enjoy coffee and increase energy without all the added saturated fat. Unlike bulletproof coffee, there is actually a lot of research and evidence supporting coffee’s health benefits.
Drinking coffee has been associated with better heart health and can even reduce overall mortality . But that’s not all: coffee can even protect brain health . An October 2018 study, published in Frontiers in Neuroscience, concluded that various compounds found in coffee contributed to neuroprotection, potentially even reducing the risk of developing Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s disease.
The healthiest way to drink coffee is to drink it black, without added sugars or creams , since it does not contain fats and contains practically no calories. However, if you want to avoid the bite from the acidity of black coffee, you can add any type of milk, such as cow’s milk, almond drink, non-fat milk or coconut milk, to get a cup of tasty and healthy coffee. In this way, you can enjoy a creamier cup without all the saturated fats in bulletproof coffee.
Finally, choose your well-balanced diet wisely outside of coffee. If the keto diet works for you, then you can find energy through healthy fats like avocados and protein like lean and organic meats. But you can also try one of the most effective and scientifically supported diets : the Mediterranean diet.
The Mediterranean diet focuses on lean meats, fresh seafood, fruits, vegetables, and legumes, as well as heart-healthy fats like olive oil and avocado. It is one of the few diets that has been shown to reduce the risk of heart disease, improve cognitive function, reduce inflammation and other health benefits.
