Bulletproof Coffee: Why Are Baristas Brewing with Butter?

As a coffee-conscious Sydneysider, you may have noticed a new beverage popping up on your radar. Perhaps you’ve seen it served somewhere, read about it online, or maybe you’re one of the early adopters who's tried it. Either way, bulletproof coffee has come to town, and odds are we haven't reached peak bulletproof yet.

Of course, this new trend brings with it the usual questions of what it is, why it is and where can you get it, so we’re here to break it down and shine the caffeinated light of learning on the matter.

WHAT IS BULLETPROOF COFFEE?

In essence, bulletproof coffee is a mixture of black coffee, grass-fed butter and medium chain triglycerides (MCTs). In most cases, the MCT used will be a virgin coconut oil or something remarkably similar. The idea is to get all three of these ingredients, blitz them up and drink it instead of breakfast and it will leave you feeling full, energised and focused in a way that a normal breakfast usually wouldn’t.

The fervent mixing of the ingredients is absolutely paramount, in order to stop the fats that are so abundant in both butter and coconut oil from separating from the brew, rising to the top and forming a layer that looks a lot like soup-skin's evil older brother. What you’re left with is a rich and creamy morning cup of Joe that feels like an oil slick going down the gullet but keeps you going for hours.

WHY IS BULLETPROOF COFFEE?

The idea of blending butter into hot drinks is not a new one. In fact, the guy behind the bulletproof coffee movement, Dave Asprey, claims to have thought the idea up after sipping on a yak’s milk tea in Tibet. But this new, urbanised combo brings a little more science to the party.

Bulletproof coffee is the offspring of the Paleo diet, which essentially encourages you to cram as many saturated fats into your body as possible. For those unfamiliar with the term, the idea is to eat as close to the diet of prehistoric man as possible, which means fats, fats and more fats, but not many carbs. So, the thought process goes that by giving your body its coffee kickstart with a dose of energy-dense saturated fat and MCTs, the caffeine will be absorbed slower by the body and thus give a lasting ‘high’. Plus, the fats will leaving you feeling full and negate the need for breakfast.

The effects touted by aficionados of the trend include both high energy, increased brain function and weight loss, all of which is backed by a load of anecdotal evidence. Given this, it’s easy to see why health-conscious people around the world are getting in on going bulletproof. However, there isn’t a whole lot of science to back it up. In theory, the high-energy part of the equation should work, and the increased focus should be provided by the extended caffeine high. There is also some research that shows that MCTs can help to burn fats in the body, too. But it’s a tenuous link.

A study conducted at Oxford Brookes University shows that, while MCTs bypass the adipose system that encourages fat absorption and thus helps burn fat, it doesn’t exactly help to boost energy and performance. Plus, the icing on the cake is that by drinking your bulletproof coffee first thing in the morning, you’re skipping a highly nutritious meal that provides energy and essential nutrients that the body needs to survive. So, while you may get the energy kick you might need in the morning, and make it last, drinking bulletproof does forgo a slew of health benefits.

WHERE IS BULLETPROOF COFFEE?

There are a couple of places in Sydney that are starting to sell bulletproof coffee on the regular, mostly in the eastern suburbs. Rubys Diner in Queen’s Park are knocking one up daily, and are more than happy to chat about the benefits of the brew. So too are the Paleo Cafe in Bondi Junction who can provide a whole mess of information regarding living life to the Paleo standard. Alternatively, you can source your own coffee, coconut oil and grass-fed butter and do it yourself, following Dave Asprey’s recipe.

THE LAST WORD

All in all, bulletproof coffee is not designed to be sipped like a latte at your local cafe in the Sydney sunshine. It’s a health drink that is purported to give an energy kick and promote weight loss when consumed correctly. As such, it’s important to be informed of the trend, and not go all-guns-blazing into a frenzy of sucking back on the fattened java that’s becoming more readily available around town. For now, I’ll be sticking with my strong flat whites.