Can Bulletproof coffee help you lose weight?

This buttered-beverage could be the answer to your weight-loss prayers

If you’re on a weight loss mission, it might be worth skipping your daily skinny cappuccino and making your coffee ‘bulletproof’ instead. Touted as a surefire way to drop the pounds, Bulletproof coffee, a brand new super-slimming concoction has been making waves with Paleo diet aficionados and health conscious foodies around the world.

This unique caffeinated beverage is the brainchild of Dave Asprey, an American entrepreneur and author of  The Bulletproof Diet who had a lightbulb moment after sampling Tibetan yak-butter tea while trekking in western Tibet. After experiencing the multiple benefits of combining good fats with caffeine first hand, Bulletproof Coffee was born.

Coffee boost

This fat-filled, calorie-dense breakfast replacement is credited with supercharging energy levels, boosting weight loss and improving concentration. ‘The breakfast drink is made by blending together Upgraded coffee beans, Brain Octane Oil, and grass-fed unsalted butter. It does not cause the insulin spike that common breakfast choices like fruit smoothies or bread cause, and helps you resist cravings while increasing energy and focus,’ explains Dave. The carefully devised recipe also avoids the crash and jittery feeling typically associated with coffee, yet still provides a powerful antioxidant boost from coffee beans. ‘Putting milk into your coffee inactivates the polyphenol antioxidants commonly found in coffee. In fact the recipe allows you to absorb up to 340% more of the antioxidants naturally found in coffee,’ continues Dave.

Put away the calculator

Dieting often seems like a numbers game, but Bulletproof Coffee shuns calories in favour of good fats which fill you up while helping you slim down. ‘Totting up calories doesn’t work well for most people because it ignores your hormones that result in late-night cravings and other common diet challenges for people trying to lose weight. The most effective way to lose weight is by following a healthy diet that leaves you full, high energy, and fully satisfied throughout your day.

The verdict

‘The fats contained in Bulletproof Coffee will assist the burning of existing fats by activating PPAR-alpha and fat-burning pathways through the liver. Vitamins A, D, E and K are contained in fat so you will also be getting a high dose of these vitamins,’ explains nutritionist Nicola Cartwright. But there is also the temptation to go overboard. ‘If you want to consume good fats and receive a caffeine-free energy boost, have a spoonful of coconut oil with a hot water and lemon each morning. This will rehydrate and energise your body, improve brain function and burn fat,’ she explains. And if you do want to give Bulletproof Coffee a whirl, here is the official recipe:

The recipe

Brew 1 cup (8-12 oz) coffee using filtered water, just off the boil, with 2½ heaped tablespoons freshly ground Bulletproof Coffee Beans. (French Press is easiest).
Add in 1-2 tablespoons Brain Octane to the hot coffee (It’s strong, so start with 1 teaspoon. and work up over several days).
Add 1-2 tablespoons grass-fed, unsalted butter or ghee.
Mix it all in a blender for 20-30 seconds until it is frothy like a foamy latte.