The first thing I do when I wake up is make a cup of bulletproof coffee, a mixture of coffee and fats created by a guy named Dave Asprey. The way to make bulletproof coffee is to blend grass fed butter and coconut and/or MCT oil into your coffee in the morning. The recipe I normally follow is:
-2 cups of brewed coffee (I use an aeropress since it's easy and I'm usually only making one cup for myself so it's better than brewing a whole pot)
-2 tablespoons grass-fed butter
-1 Tablespoon coconut oil
-1 Tablespoon MCT oil
All you have to do is combine the ingredients in a blender and blend for 10-15 seconds. When you're done you should have something similar to a latte and look something like this:
If you don't blend and try to stir instead it won't mix well and will be kind of gross to drink. Also blending forms something called fat micelles which make the fats much easier for your body to absorb. Therefore, the blending is not only important for drinkability but also bioavailability of the healthy fats. When consuming these fats it's important to start slowly. I've been doing this for several months now so I'm used to it, but it's important to slowly work your way up and give your body a chance to get used to digesting so much fat at once.
Lets break down the benefits of each ingredient.
Many know that coffee has health benefits, one of which being high levels of antioxidant polyphenols. Combining coffee with cream is a more common addition of coffee than butter but studies have shown that the protein in milk can bind to the polyphenols in coffee and make them less bioavailable. Butter has very little of these proteins left, so the polyphenols are more absorbable. As a general rule, fat helps you absorb nutrients better, especially the fat soluble vitamins.
Grass fed butter has benefits above regular butter including higher amounts nutrients like the fat soluble vitamins A,D,E and K2 and higher amounts of butyric acid. Butyric acid has been shown to be beneficial in strengthening the immune system and can even heal the lining of the intestines. Grass fed butter has a deeper yellow color due to the greater nutrient density and tastes way better especially when blended into coffee. Just make sure you get the unsalted kind because salt doesn't taste very good in coffee.
Coconut oil has gained popularity as of late, and the reason I like to include it in my coffee is for the high amounts of lauric acid it contains. Lauric acid has been shown to be a strong antimicrobial which can be helpful by getting rid of unwanted bacterial and fungal overgrowth in the body. It is also effective topically which is why some people use it on their skin, in their hair or even as a replacement for deodorant.
MCTs, or medium chain triglycerides, are saturated fatty acids containing 6,8 or 10 carbons in a hydrocarbon chain. Normally fats need to be packaged and processed through lipoproteins like LDL and HDL, but MCTs do not need to go through this process. Therefore, MCTs are absorbed much quicker than longer chain fatty acids and can be used immediately for energy. This can be beneficial to athletes, especially those competing in long distance activities like a marathon who can benefit from staying in a fat burning state during competition. MCTs help stimulate the production of ketone bodies, which are made from fat and are the only energy source utilized by the brain besides glucose. Diabetic patients may benefit from MCTs while consuming a low carb diet to fuel their bodies and brains without releasing insulin. MCTs have also been shown to aid in appetite regulation and increase thermogenesis. Thermogenesis is just a ramping up of the metabolism to burn more calories through the release of heat. Appetite regulation and thermogenesis leads to decreased food intake and a faster metabolism, which are advantageous in treating metabolic diseases like obesity and diabetes. MCTs have also been proven to have neuroprotective effects, which could help prevent or treat things like epilepsy and Alzheimers. There still needs to be more research on MCTs and their highly concentrated alter ego: MCT oil. The preliminary results are very promising though as they seem to have a big impact on metabolism and the brain and are beneficial for athletes and patients with chronic diseases.
Now that I've scratched the surface of the benefits of the ingredients lets look at the reason behind having such a huge bomb of fat first thing in the morning.
It has been shown through many studies that calorie restriction is able to extend lifespan. Unfortunately, although it's beneficial, chronic calorie restriction is not very enjoyable or practical for most people. The good new is that they have discovered intermittent fasting is able to reap many of the benefits of calorie restriction by a similar manipulation of your hormones and biochemistry but is easier to follow and allows for recovery periods. A common method of intermittent fasting is done by skipping breakfast and then eating all of your meals between an 8 hour window, generally between noon-8pm. Unfortunately this can also be difficult to do especially if you have to perform well at work early in the morning, or you're like me, and you prefer to work out in the mornings. The same guy, Dave Asprey, that invented bulletproof coffee calls replacing breakfast with fatty coffee bulletproof intermittent fasting. Since your body hasn't had any carbs or protein it still thinks it's in the fasting state since the fat you ate didn't cause the release of insulin. Therefore, you still gain the benefits you would gain from normal intermittent fasting, but you have fuel to aid you in your day. You can still take advantage of intermittent fasting and reap the benefits of fat soluble vitamins, butyric acid, lauric acid and MCTs. You also don't experience the same crash you would get from eating a high carbohydrate breakfast that spikes your insulin and leaves you hungry an hour later. For me, the caffeine and MCTs make for a great pre-workout drink to help me crush it at the gym.
A big criticism of bulletproof coffee is that it displaces what could be a nutrient dense breakfast with just fat. I have argued that the fats in bulletproof coffee are beneficial to your health, but also mimicking intermittent fasting in a way that's easier on the body is another reason to do it. Therefore, bulletproof coffee shouldn't be compared to a nutrient dense breakfast, it should be compared to eating nothing at all. If you can eat a large, nutrient dense breakfast high in fat and protein daily and don't have aspirations of trying intermittent fasting, then bulletproof coffee probably won't be your thing. Unfortunately most people don't eat a large nutrient dense rich in protein and healthy fats but instead things like cereal, donuts, pastries or bagels. Also some people want to try intermittent fasting but have struggled with it in the past. In those cases it might be beneficial to give bulletproof coffee a try and see if it helps you feel and perform better.
Stay healthy San Diego,
-Devin
So enlightening and informative thank you!
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