Here’s the question for the day: Does drinking a cup of Bulletproof coffee break a fast?
Stay tuned as we examine the various ins and outs of this apparently controversial topic.
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If you’re doing intermittent fasting, also known as IF,
does drinking Bulletproof Coffee in the morning break your fast?
Great question.
And my answer? It depends.
It depends on what your definition of a fast is.
It depends on why you’re doing IF in the first place, and what your goals are.
So, let me start out by saying that drinking coffee doesn’t break your fast at all.
It has absolutely no calories, no protein or carbs or fats.
And it has its own list of great benefits, that we’re all looking for.
To begin with, as we all know, coffee contains caffeine, which helps in feeling more alert and energized,
as well as aiding in fat burning and improved metabolism.
Coffee improves brain function, including general mental function, reaction times, vigilance, mood and memory.
Coffee contains essential nutrients like vitamins B2, B5, B3, manganese, magnesium, phosphorus, thiamin and folate.
It can lower the risk of type 2 diabetes, as well liver diseases.
It’s a huge source of antioxidants, and it’s been shown to lower the risk of depression.
Now, it’s been thought that drinking coffee raises the risk of cardiovascular disease, but that’s just not true.
You want to watch how much you drink if you have elevated blood pressure,
but studies have shown that there is a 20% lower risk of stroke in coffee drinkers.
But what about Bulletproof coffee?
Well, first, let’s take a look at what Bulletproof coffee is.
Originally, it referred to a concoction sold by Dave Asprey, the originator of Bulletproof coffee,
and it was made from coffee, MCT oil, which stands for medium-chain triglycerides
and usually comes from coconut oil, and Ghee, which is clarified butter.
And these ingredients were then run through a blender.
Today it refers to the recipe, which can be made from any high-quality coffee, MCT oil and butter…
though they’re still run through a blender.
In addition to the benefits of regular coffee, Bulletproof coffee offers some additional benefits, which is why it’s become so popular.
The claims are that it can increase energy by combining the effects of caffeine with high-powered fats,
it can impact weight loss and metabolism with the linoleic acid from grass-fed butter,
it can improve cognition and mental faculties with the medium-chain triglycerides in the MCT oil,
the additional energy it provides can lead to tackling workouts with more intensity,
and it can lead to satiety, which can make intermittent fasting more tolerable.
Which brings us back to the original question:
if you’re doing intermittent fasting, does having a cup of Bulletproof coffee in the morning break your fast?
And like I said earlier, it depends on what your definition of a fast is, and why you’re doing IF in the first place.
If your definition of a fast is simply not to consume any calories,
then yes, technically it absolutely breaks your fast.
But we need to examine why you’re doing IF.
Personally, I do IF because of it’s many benefits to my health and fitness.
First off, it’s a powerful weight loss tool.
It increases the metabolic rate, it improves fitness and enhances fat burning.
It increases growth hormone levels and lowers insulin levels.
It lowers chronic inflammation and improves heart health.
It can induce autophagy, a powerful anti-aging process.
It improves cognition, focus, and memory.
And it protects against type 2 diabetes.
If this is the reason that you’re doing IF, drinking a cup of Bulletproof Coffee in the morning won’t necessarily interrupt this.
Unlike proteins or carbs, the fat content in Bulletproof coffee won’t spike your insulin levels nor will it raise your blood sugar levels.
If you’re doing keto, it won’t knock you out of ketosis, and it might actually raise your ketone levels.
It won’t stop the autophagy triggered by intermittent fasting.
And it can lead to an increased feeling of satisfaction, making it easier to stay on intermittent fasting.
But it’s not a simple as that. There are some downsides to having a cup of Bulletproof coffee.
Bulletproof coffee does tend to raise lipid levels.
And if you’re trying to lose weight,
there’s the argument that your body will be fueled by the ketones produced from the fats in Bulletproof coffee and not from stored fat.
But I’m not sure that this argument is relevant if you’re on a ketogenic diet.
Since one of the main tenets of the ketogenic diet is to eat 2 to 4 as much fat as protein,
which I’ve always found difficult to achieve,
drinking a cup of Bulletproof coffee gets me a little closer to that goal.
Let’s say your maintenance calorie intake is 2,500 calories a day.
Let’s also say that you need a deficit of 500 calories to lose weight.
Your target caloric intake for the day is 2,000 calories.
Now, if you’re doing keto, then you want 2-4 times as many of those calories to come from fat as from protein.
If you can drink a cup of Bulletproof coffee and still stay below 2,000 total calories for the day,
here’s what I think is going to happen.
I think you’re going to burn through the ketones produced from all the fat that you consume,
and then still need to burn through an additional 500 calories in stored body fat to make up for that deficit.
I’m not sure of the ramifications if your doing intermittent fasting but you’re not a ketogenic diet.
Seems to me that the consideration of deficit calories should still hold true, but honestly, I’m not sure.
Another downside of Bulletproof coffee is the fact that the triglycerides will inhibit the secretion of hormone-sensitive lipase, also known as HSL.
And HSL is critical to the breakdown of stubborn fat.
So, while a cup of Bulletproof coffee may be great for a ketogenic diet,
it might not be so ideal for the breakdown of stubborn fats.
Now, this isn’t really a downside, but it is a consideration.
If you’re drinking a cup of Bulletproof coffee in the morning,
make sure that you take into consideration the added fat calories when calculating your total caloric intake for the day, especially if you’re trying to lose weight.
Whether or not you’re on keto, if your goal is to lose weight,
you need to make sure that you maintain a caloric deficit.
So, does drinking a cup of Bulletproof coffee break a fast?
I think the jury is still out on that.
Maybe the more important question is, how does Bulletproof coffee effect weight loss, especially if you’re on a ketogenic diet?
In my opinion, and that’s all it really is, drinking a cup of Bulletproof coffee won’t interrupt the benefits of an intermittent fast.
If you have a different opinion, then be sure to leave a comment and let me know what it is.
Like I said, I’m not really sure, and I’d like to know what others think.
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Thanks for watching, and I’ll catch you next week.