Does Bulletproof Coffee Break a Fast? A Nutritionist Explains The Science Behind It

What is bulletproof coffee

Sometimes when you’re fasting, you really need that morning pick-me-up. For most people, morning coffee is their go-to for a boost of energy throughout the day. But what about when you’re fasting?

Our fasting experts take a look at bulletproof coffee and if this particular type of coffee has any effect on whether or not it will break a fast.

What Is Bulletproof Coffee?

Bulletproof coffee is a high-calorie coffee drink that was intended as a replacement for a breakfast meal.

Originally, bulletproof coffee (also sometimes called butter coffee) started trending years ago among people who were into the paleo diet lifestyle. 

According to the recipe, bulletproof coffee is a cup of brewed coffee mixed with grass-fed butter and MCT oil.

Bulletproof coffee has also been popular among people who follow the keto diet because of its high-fat content. People who drink bulletproof coffee often are doing so because it replaces other meals and offers a boost of energy.

Pros and Cons of Bulletproof Coffee

Bulletproof coffee has some benefits, as well as some downsides. It all depends on what you’re looking for when it comes to a diet.

Pros

• Great for the ketogenic diet because it’s high in fats.
• Contains very few carbs, which helps your body stay in ketosis, burn fat, and lose weight.
• Helps your body not feel as hungry and avoid overeating.

Cons

• Contains up to 2 tablespoons of butter, and a large amount of saturated fat.
• Replacing solid food with a drink might leave you feeling worse throughout the day.
• You still need other nutrients for healthy weight loss. 

Does Bulletproof Coffee Stop Autophagy?

Autophagy is the body’s clean-up process. Your body goes through autophagy automatically, but intermittent fasting encourages the process quicker and for longer periods of time. Autophagy helps your body reduce, reuse, and recycle dead or dying cells.

Butter coffee does not block or stop autophagy. In fact, this particular type of coffee actually helps promote ketone production and ketosis, which, in turn, helps trigger autophagy outside of an intermittent fasting state.

Bulletproof Coffee Recipe

Time to prepare: 5 minutes

Ingredients:

Brewed coffee 1 cup
MCT oil 1–2tbsp
Unsalted butter, grass-fed 1–2tbsp

When it comes to MCT oil, you may want to start with just 1tsp and build up to more when you get used to drinking it.

Preparation: 

1. Brew your coffee to your liking.
2. Add MCT oil and butter with coffee into a blender.
3. Blend for 30 seconds until foaming

Conclusion

Now you know everything there is to know about bulletproof/butter coffee. 

While this coffee has its benefits, there are still some fallbacks when it comes to drinking it too much or using it as a meal replacement. 

Does bulletproof coffee break a fast? Well, you can drink it on a fast, depending on how you conduct your fasting period.

However, it’s much more suitable to drink during your eating window just before you go into fasting, as it ups your energy and encourages you to stay in ketosis while you’re fasting.