3 Reasons Why Bulletproof Coffee Should Not Be Your Morning Ritual

By Yajen Tan

We love coffee. It wakes us up, dials in our focus, and helps meet those deadlines that we wouldn’t otherwise have been able to meet on 4 hours of sleep and half a bagel. When Bulletproof Coffee came along, the company put out a host of reasons on why their brew should be your new cup of Joe. Although Bulletproof Coffee can be a  great supplement to people who are following a ketogenic diet, here are the 3 reasons why I stay away from the Bulletproof trend.

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Calories vs. Nutrients

When I’m building out my own eating plan, I always keep in mind that my daily calorie allowance is limited, so it’s very important that I fill that limit up with nutrient-dense foods. Foods like vegetables and lean proteins are primary candidates, whereas junk foods pack in a high calorie count without many nutrients to make up for it.

The official Bulletproof recipe calls for up to a whopping 496 calories per serving. For many people, that’s an entire meal’s worth of calories in one cup of coffee. With that high of a calorie figure, Bulletproof coffee is unable to make up for the micronutrients that we would have been able to have with a meal that size.

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Excessive source of saturated fats

In contrast to what we’ve been seeing from the whole “fat-free” era, we now know that fats can be healthy for us. Unfortunately, even healthy foods can create adverse effects on the body if consumed in too large of a quantity. The case with saturated fat is the perfect example. In moderate quantities, it doesn’t show to have any negative effects on heart health, but once consumed in excess, the problems do begin to show up again. Each cup of Bulletproof Coffee contains a sizable amount of saturated fats, up to 4 tablespoons as recommended, so I would caution myself before I decide to make a habit out of it.

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False claims

With all the claims that Bulletproof coffee makes about their own products, it would be nice to see a bit of evidence backing it up. Not only is it difficult to find much evidence-backed science telling us that Bulletproof Coffee might produce the effects that it claims, but the company itself seems to put out faulty advice themselves.

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**Online BONUS**

If you’re reading this right now, you’re one of the smart people who decided to check out the online version of my article, where I’m able to share a bunch more with you on health, fitness, and taking your life to the next level. So without further ado…

In the Bulletproof Intermittent Fasting: Lose Fat, Build Muscle, Stay Focused & Feel Great article on the Bulletproof blog, step 2 asks individuals to drink Bulletproof Coffee in the morning, which really isn’t too much to ask for. Unfortunately they continue to recommend that we “Drink as much Bulletproof Coffee as you like in the morning”.

To be quite frank, I actually recommend all my clients to do the exact opposite – cut out high calorie drinks if you’re trying to lose weight. Liquid calories are quite easy to consume and those calories quickly add up at 500 calories per drink.

The second false claim popped out at me while I was trying to figure who in the world was would actually make that previous claim. In their optional step 2.5, they go on to claim that “ [working out] is not necessary to gain muscle and lose fat, but it helps. If that were also true, I would be out of business at this point. I will point out that fat loss can definitely be achieved without exercise, but I’ll guarantee that your biceps never grew an inch from watching Netflix on the couch.

At the end of the day, Bulletproof Coffee does seem like a quality product that has numerous benefits to specific people. Unfortunately, their claims are stretched a little far on what the product can actually accomplish. If you’re looking for a true way to boost your energy levels, and increase your brain function, start by taking a quick look at how you’re eating and exercising for a change.

Yajen Tan is the founder of local fitness and nutrition brand Gimme Fit, which focuses on helping men and women jump start their way into healthy, sustainable lifestyles. To keep up with the latest updates in the health and fitness world, check out our blog.

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