If you’re like millions of Americans, you know that a good day starts with a cup of well-brewed coffee. It provides the warmth and energy you need to get your feet out of the door. Coffee manufacturers know this too well, and they strive to make different types of coffee to meet the demand. What is you could have a weight loss coffee every morning?
One particular coffee type that’s becoming quite popular is bulletproof coffee. Its promoters claim that it comes with a wide range of health benefits.
So, what are the benefits of bulletproof coffee? Before we look at what they are, let’s understand what bulletproof coffee is.
What is Bulletproof Coffee?
Bulletproof coffee is also known as butter coffee or keto coffee. It’s not your usual morning coffee that helps you wake up. Instead, it comes as a complex combination of strength and brainpower that you don’t find in regular coffee.
The coffee is creamy and resembles a latte. It’s always best when served warm.
It’ll keep you full and energized throughout the day while making your brain work faster and smarter.
Many people may think that bulletproof coffee is a new concept, but it has existed for much longer. Traditionally, people consumed butter coffee, which they believed provided much-needed energy. It was especially popular among people who lived and worked in high altitude areas as it would help meet their calorie needs.
Today, bulletproof coffee refers to coffee that contains butter and MCT oil. It’s a trademarked product that is highly favored by low-carb diet lovers. They associate the coffee with reduced appetite, a boost in energy levels, and a promotion weight loss, among other benefits.
The idea of butter and oil in your coffee may sound a little less than appealing. However, wait until you have a steaming mug of bulletproof coffee in your hands. You’ll realize it’s the smoothest, frothiest, and most energizing coffee you’ve ever tasted.
How Does Bulletproof Coffee Work?
Many people might ask how bulletproof coffee works to deliver all the benefits, as mentioned earlier mentioned. Its secret lies in the fat it contains, which is the good type. The MTC oil or medium-chain triglyceride is the one behind the numerous benefits of the coffee.
The making of butter coffee is based on the realization that fat is an integral part of the body’s physiological functions. It’s especially crucial for optimal brain functioning.
Unfortunately, people previously cut off fat from their diets, thinking it was responsible for many illnesses. What they didn't know is that eliminating fat was exposing them to serious health problems.
Bulletproof coffee works by creating a three-fold effect on the body. First, it helps you maintain high energy levels throughout the day. The fat also helps prevent hunger pangs by keeping you fuller for longer.
Bulletproof coffee is more preferred than a carb-heavy breakfast in keeping you satisfied and energized for longer. This is the one factor that makes it ideal for intermittent fasting, keto, and bulletproof diets.
Thirdly, bulletproof coffee has been shown to improve mental focus.
How to Make Bulletproof Coffee At Home
The best bulletproof coffee is a combination of coffee, pure grass-fed butter or ghee, and coconut oil. Alternatively, you may use MTC oil.
- Brew 8-12 ounces of coffee in filtered water using 2 ½ heaps of tablespoons of freshly ground coffee beans.
- Add 1 tablespoon of coconut oil or MTC oil. You can slowly increase the amount to 2 tablespoons, depending on how powerful you want your coffee to be.
- Add a tablespoon of grass-fed, unsalted butter or ghee. You can add another tablespoon depending on how creamy you want your coffee to be. Ensure the butter is unsalted; otherwise, you won't enjoy having salted coffee.
- Mix all these in a blender for about 30 seconds until it all comes out creamy, tasty, and foamy like a latte.
Tips to Make Bulletproof Coffee Tastier
For more health benefits from your coffee, you can add some collagen protein powder. Protein powder has the effect of making you feel fuller, controlling your appetite, and helping with your weight loss goals.
Instead of brewing your own coffee beans at home, you can grab ready-to-go bulletproof coffee from a store near you.
If you don't have a blender, making coffee from instant bulletproof coffee is easy. Simply toss in a packet of ready-made creamer made from grass-fed butter and MTC oil. This comes in powdered form and is easy to mix when preparing your coffee.
Why MTC Oil?
The body easily absorbs MCT oil and it travels directly to the liver. Here, it's processed more quickly than other oils. MCT oil isn't stuffed in fat cells as it happens with other oils. It’s also readily accessed and converted into
energy.
MCT oil is derived from unrefined coconut oil but is not as commonly known as coconut oil. However, it’s an excellent option when making bulletproof coffee. Refined coconut oil has a lower component of medium-chain triglycerides (MCT). The body takes longer to absorb it and quickly finds its way to fat cells, contributing to weight gain.
Despite being low in MCT, coconut oil provides other benefits like being anti-inflammatory, antiviral, and antibacterial. It has also been well researched and certified as safe for consumption.
Based on this information, you can weigh your options on whether to use MCT oil (organic if possible) or coconut oil.
How Much Bulletproof Coffee Should You Drink Per Day?
Based on the benefits you’ll derive from bulletproof coffee, you might be tempted to take a lot of it. Sometimes, you may also want to miss a meal and drink the coffee instead. However, this is not recommendable as you’ll miss out on all the essential nutrients you will get from food.
Consider drinking bulletproof coffee in the morning for breakfast. The aim is to start your day at an energized level and to feel fuller for longer. This will help you reduce the amounts of food you eat during the day while keeping you active.
How Does Bulletproof Coffee Benefit the Body?
Bulletproof coffee is beneficial to people on a ketogenic diet, which is low in carbs and high in fats. The body gets energy by metabolizing carbohydrates. It reaches out to stored fats when there aren’t enough carbohydrates to use.
When both of these energy sources are depleted, the body produces ketones. People behind bulletproof coffee argue that it’s best for a ketogenic diet as it contains fats and no carbs. The body converts MCT oil into ketones, hence helping meet the goals of a ketogenic diet.
Ketones are molecules that the body uses for energy when in ketosis. Coconut oil and butter are beneficial in ketogenic diets because they help the body reach and maintain ketosis.
Reduces Hunger
One of the benefits you’ll derive from consuming bulletproof coffee is to feel less hungry. It’s especially effective if you consume it in the morning. Adding butter and oil will make you feel less hungry than if you drink coffee alone.
Reduces the Risk of Type 2 Diabetes
According to some studies, a low carbohydrate diet is highly beneficial to people with type 2 diabetes. It works by reducing the risk of heart disease or heart attack. It also helps promote weight loss and lower blood sugar levels.
Promotes Feelings of Fullness
When you add butter and coconut or MCT oil to your coffee, it becomes more fulfilling. The extra calories from the fat and butter have a fulfilling effect.
Take note that some butter coffee beverages come with more than 450 calories per cup. Such are only recommendable for consumption when replacing your breakfast meal. Adding it to a regular breakfast meal will result in weight gain if the calories don't get consumed during the day.
If you’re trying to lose weight, the principle of calories in versus calories out is very crucial.
Helps You Lose Weight
Although adding butter and oil in your coffee might sound like a weight-gain strategy, it does the opposite. Isn’t it surprising that butter and oil coffee can help you lose weight? There’s compelling evidence that supports this stance.
The MCT oil used in making keto coffee plays the role of boosting your metabolism to stimulate weight loss. The oil has been found to more effective in promoting weight loss than olive and coconut oil.
Coffee, on its own, is also highly effective in promoting weight loss. Consuming it right before a workout helps the body burn more calories, and exercise is hence more beneficial. Coffee is also a metabolism booster, and it promotes weight loss even when you're not working out.
How Much You Consume Matters
Keep in mind that bulletproof coffee contains a fair amount of more calories than regular coffee. Depending on the amount of oil and butter you use, you could get between 200 and 400 calories. Combining it with a regular breakfast may cause you to gain weight, especially if you don't have an active lifestyle.
Consider using the coffee as a replacement for your breakfast meal or mid-morning snack. This is the only way to experience weight loss benefits without the risk of weight gain.
Provides More Energy
You’ll get more energy from Bulletproof coffee than plain coffee. The mere act of adding butter to the coffee makes it digest more slowly, making the stimulant effect last longer. The result is a feeling of being energized throughout the day without experiencing caffeine crashes.
Besides the energy boost you get from coffee, MTC oil is also a great source of energy. It’s regarded as a super fuel and provides instant energy because it gets digested quickly.
Fat is slowly digested and takes a while to be broken down. MCT is easier to digest than other fats because of the shorter chain of triglycerides. Bile is not required to break down the chains.
Due to the quick metabolism process, MCT oil provides the body with instant energy.
Improves Exercise Performance
Bulletproof coffee, in addition to boosting energy levels, can increase your stamina and enhance your performance in exercise. MCT oil helps slow down the buildup of lactic acid in the muscles during workouts. Lactic acid is the cause of the burning sensation in the muscles that results from an intense workout.
The less amount of acid in the body, the easier your workouts will be. You'll be in a better position to push yourself harder while at the gym.
Bulletproof coffee helps increase endurance. You'll be able to work out for significantly more extended periods after consuming the coffee.
Helps Lower Cholesterol
You might wonder how butter coffee can help lower cholesterol. The truth is that MCT oil has significant cholesterol-lowering capabilities. It reduces total and bad cholesterol while promoting good cholesterol.
Consider incorporating bulletproof coffee as a supplement in your diet. It’ll improve your lipid profile and decrease the risk of heart disease.
The same goes for grass-fed butter, which is a healthy addition to your breakfast as it contains saturated fat. Previously, it was believed that saturated fat raises the risk of heart disease. In actuality, it increases the levels of good cholesterol.
Improves Gut Health
MTC oil in bulletproof coffee helps the digestive system in two main ways. One, it prevents leaky gut syndrome, and secondly, it improves your gut microbiome.
A leaky gut lining allows food particles to escape to the bloodstream, causing inflammation in the body. MCT oil prevents this from happening.
It also maintains a healthy balance of bacteria by reducing the pathogenic ones. This gives room for good bacteria to thrive.
Bulletproof coffee is relatively new in the market, but it opens up a whole world of benefits to the body.
Final Thoughts
If you're looking for a coffee variant that provides more benefits than your regular coffee, go for bulletproof coffee. It contains grass-fed butter and coconut or MCT oil, which promote various healthy aspects in the body. The good thing is that you don't have to consume it in large amounts to realize the benefits.
For the best results, drink it as a breakfast substitute in the morning. You’ll have a burst of energy throughout the day, and you'll be less likely to consume high-calorie foods. The coffee will also deliver other benefits like weight loss, reduced cholesterol, and enhanced performance in exercise.