If you haven’t heard of Bulletproof coffee, allow us to fill you in: It’s the decadent breakfast drink that’s prepared with up to 2 tablespoons each of grass fed butter and MCT oil (sold as “Brain Octane Oil” if you buy directly from the Bulletproof company). Proponents recommend drinking this in place of breakfast, claiming that the high-fat, 500-calorie beverage will improve focus, curb hunger, and help with weight loss.
But is it true? While it’s a great marketing pitch, the claims are decidedly less than bulletproof. “The evidence to support the butter coffee trend is all anecdotal,” says Jason Brandt, a neuropsychologist at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. It’s true that a diet high enough in fat will cause your brain to switch from burning glucose (blood sugar) to burning ketones. And it’s also true that burning ketones will help your brain function better if your blood sugar was low to begin with. But as to whether it helps improve focus in normal daily living? Or that burning ketones is generally better for weight loss and brain health? There is simply no evidence.
Our verdict on this one: Bullsh*t
