The Bitter Truth About Bulletproof Coffee

Butter in coffee??

Sounds weird for most individuals, who’ve been relishing their favorite coffee since many years now.

The trend of adding butter/ghee/coconut oil etc. in coffee got here in limelight by an American Entrepreneur, creator and a promoter of low-carb-high-fat weight-reduction plan, Dave Asprey.

Asprey named his coffee because the ‘Bulletproof Coffee’ and his weight-reduction plan because the ‘Bulletproof Diet’. But like many others, he has been criticized for making misleading health claims about his weight-reduction plan and adding drinking black coffee with added butter/ghee/coconut oil.

And after all, one thing Asprey was great in, was marketing. He founded a complete nutrition company behind the concept of Bulletproof nutrition. Today his website contain a spread of health supplements and other products.

But where did this concept of adding butter in coffee got here from? It got here to Asprey, while on a mountain climbing trip to Tibet. Where he found people drinking Butter tea, which is fabricated from Yak Butter, and a kind of fermented tea called ‘Pu-erh tea’. Drinking multiple cups of butter tea is a daily a part of Tibetan lifestyle.

One of the advantages of butter tea within the Tibetan region shouldn’t be just the antioxidant advantages of tea, however the high calories in butter, which helps them sustain within the extremely low temperatures, where the body burns rather more calories than at higher temperatures.

This is because, during winters the body has to control its temperature, to naturally produce heat. This is finished by either shivering or non-shivering thermogenesis activities. Shivering produces heat with contracting muscles causing a number of the energy to point out up as heat. Non-shivering thermogenesis occurs in brown adipose tissue present in mammals.

When our bodies are exposed to cold air, or low temperatures, our adrenal glands get activated, because it’s a kind of stress on the body. Adrenal glands, in response to cold, release the ‘fight or flight’ hormone, adrenaline (epinephrine), which forces your body to shoot up its metabolism, thus burning more fat.

A study saw that, even a brief term exposure to cold ends in significant increase in fat burn. That can be considered one of the explanation why mountaineers are told to eat more fat during extreme cold because the body loses plenty of fat at higher altitudes and fat is required for insulation from cold.

In fact, Yak butter is taken into account in high regards in Tibetan culture, and is consumed persistently a day, in various dishes.

Asprey took this as an inspiration, and developed the concept of Bulletproof coffee. He initially experimented with various butter drinks and got here up with the recipe of bulletproof coffee.

He further added marketing gimmicks of using grass-fed butter, as an alternative of conventional butter; and using special coffee which is freed from mycotoxins.

Asprey also uses coconut oil or MCT oils in coffee, which he claims to sharpen the mind. He recommends to devour this coffee, very first thing within the morning, as breakfast. This considered one of butter coffee, accommodates app. 400 calories, which acc. to Asprey, boosts your energy, burns fat, and suppresses your hunger pangs.

However, all of the claims done by Asprey with Bulletproof coffee have been clearly debunked. Let’s see the reality behind the claims.

1. The Mycotoxin Myth

Mycotoxins are toxic substances produced by fungi which might cause dangerous diseases, and even deaths in humans. The term mycotoxin is derived from the Greek word mycos, for fungus, and the Latin word toxicum, for poison. Nearly 400 forms of mycotoxins have been identified up to now.

(Pic Source)

Mycotoxins can grow on grains, cereals, legumes and low beans, if improperly stored. In fact, 25% of the world’s agricultural crops are estimated to contain mycotoxins. In the actual case of coffee, the prevalence of contamination is increased, particularly contamination with ochratoxin A (OTA) and to lesser extent with aflatoxins and sterigmatocystin.

The favourable conditions for mycotoxins production are instigated with poor hygienic conditions on the time of transportation and storage, hot temperature and moisture content and heavy rains.

Firstly, mycotoxins pose no risk to you, once you drink the commercially available coffee. Because, studies are very clear on the undeniable fact that, good agriculture and postharvest practices can prevent and reduce contamination. On the opposite hand, coffee roasting is an efficient measure for reducing mycotoxins. Also, mycotoxins amounts are regulated for roasted and quick coffee.

In depth review studies have stated that, there isn’t any evidence to suggest that OTA is acutely toxic in humans from consumption of coffee or other exposure sources.

Acc. to Harvard trained physician, David Bach““.

2. Suppression of Hunger & Weight Loss

Here is the recipe for making Bulletproof coffee:

• Brew about 1 cup (250–350 ml) of coffee.
• Add 1–2 tablespoons of coconut oil.
• Add 1–2 tablespoons of unsalted butter, or ghee.
• Mix all ingredients in a blender for 20–30 seconds until it resembles a foamy latte.

This could be app. 450cal value of beverage. Though you’ll be able to limit it to, 200-250cal, in case you reduce the quantity of fat added.

When it involves suppression of hunger pangs, that’s an obvious effect, as you might be consuming 250-500cal of high fat beverage within the breakfast. The same would occur with any type of high calorie beverage or solid food.

For e.g. a shake fabricated from 500ml full cream milk, 2 tablespoons of peanut butter, 1 medium sized banana, 2 scoops of whey, & 2 tablespoon honey, would come out to be app. 900-1000 calories. This could be 2 big glasses of thick shake. Imagine having half (one glass) of it in breakfast. Will you wish the rest to supress your hunger.

But what in case you don’t take these calories in account and begin having bulletproof coffee daily. The answer is easy, you’ll find yourself getting fatter.

So, in case you prefer to add butter/ghee/coconut oil in your coffee, be sure that you might be having them throughout the limits of your every day calorie requirements.

3. It’s not good on your Brain

Coffee in itself is an excellent beverage for health, and has many health advantages including neurological ones. Multiple studies have shown that, coffee affect mental states corresponding to increasing alertness and a focus, reducing anxiety, and improving mood.

However, there are absolutely no special cognitive advantages of adding butter/ghee/coconut oil/MCT oils in your coffee. Studies have very clearly shown that, there isn’t any advantage of Bulletproof coffee over black coffee for improving cognitive performance, or memory related tasks.

But, I personally prefer to add coconut oil in my black coffee, and this is just as a consequence of its taste, not the health advantages as such. However, I be sure that that I don’t go insane on adding multiple tablespoons of coconut oils and butter/ghee in my coffee.

All I do is add a tablespoon of cold pressed extra virgin coconut oil in my black coffee. You can do this with butter/ghee. The total calories on this case would remain limited to 100-120. And, this fashion you’ll be able to relish your coffee with added fats, without worrying an excessive amount of about calories.