WE’VE GOT THE LOWDOWN ON THE RISE OF THE BULLETPROOF COFFEE TREND

Forget about the skinny cap, it’s time your cup of joe got a little fatter – at least according to supporters of the Bulletproof Coffee trend. Chances are you’ve probably heard about it, seen it on Instagram, or tried it in one of those hipster cafes that serve lattes in avocados.

So, what is bulletproof coffee? Is it all it’s cracked up to be? And how do you make it? Here’s the lowdown.

WHAT IS IT?

While Bulletproof Coffee is technically a brand, essentially, it’s just black coffee blended with grass-fed butter and medium-chain triglycerides (MCT) oil.

It is the brain child of Dave Asprey, a Silicon Valley Exec-turned-entrepreneur and owner of Bulletproof Executive who discovered the benefits of butter in coffee after trying yak butter tea whilst hiking in Tibet.

WHAT IS ALL THE FUSS ABOUT?

Basically, when you combine the energy from the coffee with the good fats from the MCTs and the butter, you get a pretty powerful combo. It claims to keep you full for hours and improve cognitive function while providing clean energy without the negative effects of caffeine and sugar crashes. Oh, and it’s supposed to help you lose weight too – bonus!

HOW IT WORKS

Let’s start with the caffeine. The debate over its benefits dates back thousands of years has waged for a while (pretty sure that’s accurate) and while we are yet to have a definitive answer on whether or not it’s good for us, we do know that one to three cups a day has been associated to lowered risk of diabetes, Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s and some cancers and is recognised as a performance and cognition enhancer.

However, excessive consumption for some means a quick trip to the bathroom, anxiety, hours of jitters and a pretty restless night. That’s where the saturated fat from the butter comes in. The butter in the Bulletproof Coffee slows down the absorption of caffeine in the body, allowing for a longer and more sustained release of energy throughout the day – win!

Now, on to the MCTs. They are a special kind of fat that helps to rev up your metabolism as it is absorbed into the bloodstream and sent straight to the liver to be used immediately as energy, rather than being digested and stored as fat. MCTs raise the level of ketones in the body, which have been shown to improve body composition as they are touted as fat-burning and brain-fuelling molecules, especially when paired with slow releasing caffeine.

IS IT ACTUALLY GOOD FOR YOU?

The jury is still out on this one. While there are so many benefits to the healthy fats in Bulletproof Coffee, there are still some downsides from ingesting too many kilojoules in the form of fat.

With the addition of butter and MCTs, one Bulletproof Coffee a day increases your daily kilojoule intake by roughly 1,800 kilojoules – not exactly ideal for those watching their waistlines or cholesterol levels.

However, if you are using the coffee as a replacement for breakfast, then those pesky extra kilojoules are nothing to worry about. Just make sure to watch your fat intake throughout the rest of the day and be sure to eat loads of fresh vegetables, fruits and protein to ensure you still get all of your daily nutrients.

HOW TO MAKE IT:

It literally could not be easier:

Ingredients:

1 cup of organic coffee, brewed using filtered water
1 tablespoon unsalted grass-fed butter or ghee
1 tablespoon of MCT extract from coconut oil (newbies: start with 1tsp and work your way up)

Instructions: