What Is Bulletproof Coffee? Complete Health Guide

If you are thinking about adding bulletproof coffee to your daily routine or already drink bulletproof coffee every day then read on.

In 2019 coffee is no longer just brewed beans, cream, and sugar. Nowadays people have endless options to add to their coffees. Popularized by mainstream coffee shops like Starbucks, people enjoy specialty drinks from, Pumpkin Spice Lattes to Unicorn Frappuccinos.

Bulletproof coffee is one of these new coffee recipes. Dave Asprey invented bulletproof coffee. A drink made from brewed coffee, grass-fed unsalted butter, and medium-chain triglyceride (MCT) oil. This combination supposedly boasts many health benefits including weight loss, satiation, and improved brain health.

Are There Benefits to Bulletproof Coffee?

Bulletproof coffee has become popular among paleo and low-carb dieters. This is because it has a listed benefit to trigger weight loss by ketosis.

Ketosis is a metabolic process your body goes through when there is not enough glucose for energy. The body then burns stored fats within the body. While this may sound like a good thing there are many side effects that may affect your long term health.

There is little data on the use of medium-chain triglycerides for weight loss and regulating cholesterol according to Christopher Ochner, a nutrition expert at the Ichan School of Medicine at Mount Sinai Hospital.

Dave Asprey claims that 70% of all coffee beans are laced with mycotoxins. These toxins sap vitality and cause coffee to be bitter. However, THIS IS FALSE and is plain wrong. All good coffee providers have already created processes to eliminate basically all mycotoxins from coffee. For decades companies such as Stumptown to Starbucks used wet processing to reduce mycotoxin levels to negligible amounts.

In short, there are no proven benefits to drinking bulletproof coffee. Now here are 5 reasons why you should not drink this coffee.

1. Bulletproof Coffee is High In Unhealthy Fat

Bulletproof coffee is very high in saturated fat.

Saturated fat is one of the unhealthy fats that are solid at room temperature. Too much saturated fat in your diet can lead to heart disease and many other health problems in the future.

Most official dietary guidelines and health authorities advise people to limit the amount of saturated fat consumed on a daily basis.

If you or your family suffer from high cholesterol levels, stay away from saturated fats and bulletproof coffee altogether.

2. Butter in Bulletproof Coffee May Increase Your Cholesterol Levels

There are many studies illustrating a link between low carb ketogenic diets and raised cholesterol levels.

This includes bulletproof coffee which lists this as one of the main benefits. Most research confirms these diets that are high in butter raise LDL cholesterol levels.

LDL cholesterol is the bad kind and can cause clogged arteries and makes heart attacks and strokes more likely. Higher levels of LDL raise your odds of heart disease.

One study had 94 British adults eat 50 grams of butter daily for 4 weeks. All adults had LDL cholesterol levels higher than the control group. The control group consumed an equal amount of other oils.

3. Can Cause Kidney Stones

Bulletproof coffee increases urinary calcium excretion. It also increases uric acid and calcium in the body.

Kidney stones, also known as nephrolithiasis, is a common side effect for people drinking excessive amounts of coffee and following ketogenic diets.

Formation of kidney stones is caused by the buildup of uric acid in the body. High intake of animal protein in bulletproof coffee makes your urine more acidic and increases calcium and uric acid levels. When this combination increases in your body it puts you at risk of kidney stones and many other health issues.

4. Short-Term Fatigue

By switching to a ketogenic diet a side effect is weakness and fatigue. This is contrary to the original marketing.

Your body is used to running on a carb-heavy fuel, by switching to a keto diet you are forcing yourself to adapt to a different refueling system.

It takes 7-30 days for your body to adapt to full ketosis. Initially, you will suffer from tiredness and low energy.

5. Digestive Issues

By drinking coffee every day, consequently, you may experience digestive issues such as constipation or diarrhea.

A side effect of users starting to drink MCT oil is nausea and gastric difficulties. Combined with a cup of coffee and some butter and this is a catastrophe waiting to happen.

What does this mean?

Bulletproof coffee should not be an everyday breakfast replacement. Drink this coffee as a supplement to a daily routine or as a treat.

The coffee is filling and may boost energy, but it also comes with many side effects and downsides.

This coffee will most be suited for people who don’t have problems with saturated fat or high cholesterol and do not follow a strict ketogenic diet.

If you are interested in making a cup yourself check out how we make our bulletproof coffee. Coming Soon!

For the long term, it would be best to get your blood tested regularly to mitigate any potential risk of long term health effects.

If you still want to try bulletproof coffee despite reading this article you can buy it on Amazon. Just buy these two products and add the butter yourself!

Conclusion

Coffee is good for you, but when you add additional fats and chemicals it may become harmful to your body.