Bulletproof Coffee: What Is It? The Pros and Cons

What is bulletproof coffee?

It is a coffee made with coconut-derived MCT (medium-chain triglycerides) oil and butter. Bulletproof coffee is a creamy drink served hot and looks similar to a latte, drank in the morning. 

Bulletproof coffee has become super popular with many people claiming it has several health benefits, such as: 

  • Maintains energy levels throughout the morning
  • Prevents hunger
  • Improves mental focus

These benefits are simply claims because there has been no scientific research into bulletproof coffee to see how healthy or unhealthy this drink is. Because of this, we have decided to put together a few pros and cons of bulletproof coffee so you can decide whether it could be beneficial for you!


Pros of bulletproof coffee

Bulletproof coffee could be used to help with weight loss. The drink uses coconut-derived medium-length chains of triglycerides fats; the shorter the chains, the easier it is for the body to break the fats down. This means your body reduces the fat quickly and therefore helps you lose weight.

Because bulletproof coffee contains fats but no carbohydrates, the drink would fit well into a ketogenic diet. A ketogenic diet is where the person will cut out carbohydrates in order to produce ketones when using fat for energy. A lot of people who promote bulletproof coffee, express how it can work with the famous keto diet as one of its unique selling points.

People who have diabetes are often told to go on a low carbohydrates diet to help them lose weight if needed, reduce blood sugar levels and decrease the risk of a heart attack. These diets are often recommended for a short period, so during this time drinking bulletproof coffee in the morning will help cut out those carbohydrates.

In addition to all of this, bulletproof coffee can help reduce hunger. The purpose of a bulletproof coffee is to drink it as breakfast to help you get through the morning without being hungry. The addition of butter and oil to the drink means you’ll feel less hungry than you would be if you were to drink normal coffee. This is why it is popular with a lot of people who on the go who don’t have time for making breakfast in the mornings.


Cons of bulletproof coffee

As we have already mentioned, the whole idea of bulletproof coffee is to drink it instead of breakfast in the morning. This will leave you without the right balance of nutrients you need for the day that you would get from your breakfast. Throughout the day you need a balance of carbohydrates, protein, fibre or vitamins and minerals. You need the right balance for a healthy immune system to ensure you don't have the risk of health problems.

There’s also insufficient scientific evidence of whether it is effective or safe as a supplement, cutting your breakfast out completely. A healthy breakfast should contain protein, carbohydrates and fruit or veg. If losing weight would be the reason you want to drink bulletproof coffee, having a homemade smoothie for your breakfast would be a much healthier alternative to having no breakfast at all. 


Would you benefit from bulletproof coffee?

Taking into consideration both the pros and cons, there are ways you can enjoy bulletproof coffee without worrying about whether it is the healthiest option. Introducing it to your diet in moderation could work well with a balanced and healthy diet too. You could reduce the amount of butter and oil in your recipe which will help you cut down on saturated fats too. MCT oil helps to boost your immune system and has many other benefits too that can be added to other drinks as an easy alternative to coconut oil.


How do you make a bulletproof coffee?

If it is something you think you want to introduce to your diet, here is a bulletproof coffee recipe so you can make it at home!

If you have a coffee machine, making a bulletproof coffee would be a longer process than any other coffee however, it can be done. All of our coffee machines provide the option for all black coffees such as the Americano, Ristretto and Espresso. Choose this option and once your machine has made it you can simply add the butter and oil in yourself so you have your very own homemade bulletproof coffee! Check out our range of coffee beans and instant coffee for your coffee machine, so you can make your very own bulletproof coffee!

Check out our range of machines and ingredients to guarantee the perfect cup every time.

Blog image by @hiddenkitchencalifornia on Instagram.