Bullet Proof: What it is and how it is made

Bullet Proof coffee is a trend that has been around for a few years. Coffee that, with butter and coconut oil, becomes an extremely high-calorie coffee blend intended to replace breakfast.

It is sold as a high-quality coffee enriched with low-fat organic butter and coconut oil that helps celebrities worldwide get through the morning with energy. And it also helps you lose weight.

Bullet Proof is a coffee that originated in the United States. An invention of the American entrepreneur David Asprey, who has been selling this coffee since 2014 as the coffee that slims you down and speeds up your metabolism.

The Californian entrepreneur discovered this combination on a trip to Tibet when he was faint after a long hike at a high altitude, and his guides prepared him tea with yak butter to regain his strength. He took a few twists and turns and reworked the concept to create this café.

Amazingly, we’re talking about a coffee combo that adds about 400 kilocalories to your diet.

This is surprising for a coffee that promises you will lose weight if you drink it. It may not be easy to convince you that Bullet Proof 400-calorie coffee is not fattening. And, if you are not on a ketogenic diet, you cannot access its alleged benefits.

Coffee is a substitute for other breakfasts, so according to Asprey, it should not be mixed with other foods to be effective.

This bulletproof coffee is a high-quality, Asprey-registered coffee treat, sold on his website, with two teaspoons of organic low-fat butter and enriched coconut oil (also created by Asprey).

What are the effects of Bullet Proof according to its supporters?

For them, Bullet Proof coffee replaces your breakfast, speeds up your metabolism and allows you to arrive without hunger at midday, so you don’t want a snack until lunchtime.

And with this argument, the drink has gained hundreds of followers in the United States, and for many, it has become almost a religion to drink their Bullet Proof coffee in the morning. So having a Bullet Proof for breakfast and nothing else is a meal replacement to help you lose weight; it replaces a full breakfast.

According to its fans, it provides energy to last physically and mentally, without stopping until mid-afternoon, slimming, accelerating the metabolism and helping to connect at work.

That is why it is one of the favourite drinks for executives and celebrities.

The Bullet Proof and the ketogenic diets

Bullet Proof coffee can be included in ketogenic diets aiming to generate a situation of ketosis, the formation of ketone bodies, similar to that of fasting. The ketogenic diet aims to reduce carbohydrate intake as much as possible and increase fat intake for rapid weight loss.

The basic principle of the ketogenic diet, also called the “keto diet” or simply “keto”, is simple: By depriving the body of carbohydrates, energy is obtained from fats through a state called ketosis.

By doing this diet, ketone bodies help eliminate body fat more easily; therefore, weight is also lost. Your body is also more likely to gain muscle mass.

However, if you follow a normal diet, the calorie intake of this coffee combination is enormous, and it will certainly help you gain weight.

Bullet Proof Components

  1. Two teaspoons of low-fat organic butter.
  2. The “Brain Octane Oil” is an enriched coconut oil created by Asley.
  3. And his high-quality coffee was also created by him.

Note: the product is registered, just in case you think of putting Bullet Proof on your menu.

Is Bullet Proof healthy, and can we lose weight with it?

I’m not a nutritionist, but I looked for information on the subject, and this is what I found.

What started as a breakfast option is now a new way to lose weight. A few years ago, the book The Bullet Proof Diet was published, which describes a gluten-free diet similar to the Paleo diet and promises to make you lose up to half a kilo a day.

Its creator sells it as the best diet for losing weight and improving academic performance. David Asprey claims to have lost 45 kilos, to have increased his IQ by 20 points, to have managed to rest better in fewer hours and to be rejuvenated, almost nothing!

And all this while sleeping less than 5 hours a day without exercise. In this light, who wouldn’t join in? What is the opinion of nutritionists regarding the Bullet Proof diet?

What do nutritionists think about the Bullet Proof diet?

The Bullet Proof diet shares similarities with the Paleo, hyper proteic, or ketogenic diet.

In this diet, foods such as carbohydrates, sugar, cereals and oils derived from them (soya, corn), legumes, and any dairy that has been processed or pasteurised are eliminated, and the amount of fruit is limited to one or two pieces a day.

Asprey proposes a lifestyle that combines the Paleolithic diet and the philosophy of gluten-free diets. These currents have taken the United States by storm in recent years.

They are based on the total renunciation of cereals and, generally, of carbohydrates, replaced by “good fats”. Total rejection of transgenics and a commitment to organic products, which, I have to say, I share the idea of going for organic or ecological products.

And he opts for exotic products, which, as we have seen, if they are from the Bullet Proof brand, so much the better.

There is no shortage of nutrition experts who have warned of the risks of ingesting a large number of saturated fats at the expense of reducing the consumption of other essential nutrients for the body, and who therefore qualify this diet as yet another miracle diet.

How to make Bullet Proof coffee at home?

Remember that the Bullet Proof is registered, so to make this coffee in the strictest sense, you must use the products that Asprey sells you in their online shop.

You need coffee and organic butter on hand, which has to be from grass-fed cows or grass-fed butter. Or you can choose to order it from their website.

The third element is coconut oil or, as Asprey calls it, Brain Octane Oil. Also called XCT oil or MCT (medium chain triglyceride) oil. It is a triple distilled oil in which, thanks to this process, only the medium-chain triglycerides are retained.

It seems that these fats are the best digested by the body, they are converted into energy, and our body tends to accumulate them to a lesser extent.

It would be best to have a cone or Chemex-type coffee maker or, failing that, a French Press coffee maker. And a blender.

Process for making a Bullet Proof coffee

Let’s recap the following ingredients:

  1. Quality coffee (300 ml)
  2. Butter from grazing cows (12 – 24 g)
  3. TCM coconut oil (12 – 24 g)

Note: MCT stands for medium chain triglycerides.

As a good American, if you watch his videos, you will see that Asprey always uses filtered coffee. The idea is to buy quality organic coffee even better. Chocolate-flavoured varieties, perfect for the French Press, are also ideal for Bullet Proof coffee.

You grind just before brewing to a medium level for a filter coffee. If you use the French Press, the grind will be coarse. And then you make a great coffee.

You pour the coconut oil, butter, and coffee into the blender. Regarding the fatty components, you have complete freedom in quantity, and I advise you to experiment freely.

Blend until it is perfectly smooth. It is important to make the thing drinkable, to pour all the ingredients into the jug of the glass blender and blend until frothy. You will get a coffee with a good foam, less heavy than you might think.

The Bullet Proof theory insists that, for it all to make sense, it is vital that the coconut oil we add to our coffee is 100% MCT.

They explain that the energy density is slightly lower than long-chain fatty acids, and the metabolism is completely different. In other words, MCTs are available to the body better and faster than other fats, at least in the opinion of their supporters.

Is Bullet Proof a nutritional prodigy or just another foodie fad?

Goji berries, flax seeds, avocado, chia, kale and finally, organic butter and refined coconut oil can be considered trend-setting superfoods worldwide. Still, their success is due more to fashion and marketing than their benefits. Its miraculous properties and trendiness made Bullet Proof coffee burst into every coffee shop in the San Francisco Valley.

From that moment on, it was only a matter of time before it spread to the rest of the USA and later to the rest of the planet. But remember that many nutritionists claim this diet is based on somewhat dubious hypotheses.

I recommend the articles of the American Heart Association. They have written a very good one on the issue, Saturated fats: Why all the hubbub over coconuts.

Three possible disadvantages of Bullet Proof coffee from its detractors

1. The promoters of Bullet Proof coffee recommend drinking it instead of breakfast

However, doing so will significantly reduce the total nutrient load of your diet. You could even miss out on a third of the recommended nutrients.

2. Bullet Proof coffee is high in saturated fat

Although its health effects are highly controversial and not firmly established, official guidelines still recommend limiting saturated fat intake, especially if you have cholesterol problems.

3. Butter and ketogenic diets high in saturated fat may increase cholesterol levels and other risk factors for heart disease in some people

Bullet Proof coffee is not recommended for those with elevated levels.

Conclusion

Bullet Poof coffee may work for some people, especially those who follow a ketogenic diet and do not have elevated cholesterol levels.

Bulletproof coffee can help you lose weight and increase your energy levels with a healthy diet. Bullet Proof coffee can be healthy for some people as long as it is consumed as part of a balanced diet and does not have high cholesterol levels. It may be especially appealing to those on ketogenic diets.

We won’t get into the controversy any further; I will tell you that coconut oil is perfect for cooking and baking because of its flavour; as an ingredient, it gives a wonderful hint of natural flavour. For me, this flavour is the most important aspect when it comes to Bullet Proof coffee, as a large part of its flavour is provided by this coffee.