Table of Contents[Hide][Show]
- Skipping Breakfast a Big No-No for Sustainable Weight Loss
- Healthy Fats Added to Coffee Do Not Make it Breakfast!
- Skipping Breakfast in favor of Bulletproof Coffee
- Serotonin Deficiency Harms Sleep Quality
- Must Have Your BulletProof Coffee?
- BulletProof Coffee Already Wrecked Your Sleep?
- Once You’ve Got Your Serotonin Deficiency Under Control, Now What?
- References and More Information
Bulletproof coffee has become quite the fad with fans touting its use as a way to lose weight, shrink that spare tire, and have more energy. The basic recipe calls for 2 cups of coffee, a minimum of 2 tablespoons grass-fed butter, and 1-2 tablespoons MCT oil (some people substitute virgin coconut oil) all mixed together in a blender.
This coffee drink is promoted as a replacement for breakfast by Dave Asprey of the Bulletproof Executive as a way to feel “lean, focused and energized” and helps you “transform your diet without chewing on sticks of butter”.
While I have no doubt that this choice of morning beverage will indeed produce a high level of focus and intensity due to the quick injection of caffeine and medium-chain triglycerides (used by the body for energy rather than fat storage) to the bloodstream, any weight loss benefits to a bulletproof coffee habit over the long term are completely ludicrous.
At the very least, bulletproof coffee certainly won’t be helping you lose weight and keep it off. Yes, it’s just another yo-yo scenario and here’s why.
Skipping Breakfast a Big No-No for Sustainable Weight Loss
According to Julia Ross, bestselling author of The Diet Cure, skipping breakfast and replacing it with coffee or a drink like bulletproof coffee is a big no-no and not just because it increases your chances of overeating starches and sugars later in the day.
Skipping a nutritious morning meal particularly one with a quality source of protein does a number on your body’s ability to produce the neurotransmitter serotonin which is derived from the amino acid tryptophan.
Tryptophan, like all the amino acids, is contained in protein. Meat is the best source of tryptophan but only from animals roaming on pasture.
Healthy Fats Added to Coffee Do Not Make it Breakfast!
Adding a bunch of healthy fats to coffee in no way redeems the situation and bulletproof coffee does not qualify as a meal replacement!
Protein (food) —–> Tryptophan (amino acid) —–> Serotonin (neurotransmitter) —–> Melatonin (hormone for restful sleep)
Serotonin is what helps you feel happy, calm, and self-confident even in the face of stress. Moreover, ample serotonin is important for a restful night’s sleep as the body converts serotonin into melatonin at dusk.
Inadequate melatonin results in insomnia problems.
What about adding collagen, gelatin or protein powder to bulletproof coffee? Does this make it better?
Please note that adding collagen hydrolysate or gelatin to your bulletproof coffee does not solve the problem as these protein sources are completely devoid of tryptophan-containing primarily the amino acids glycine and proline in large amounts.
Protein powder would be the worst choice, however, as all brands are highly processed (don’t be fooled!) with the delicate protein molecules denatured even if processed at low temperatures due to the powdering process.
Skipping Breakfast in favor of Bulletproof Coffee
Skipping breakfast in the morning short circuits the body’s ability to produce adequate serotonin throughout the day. While eating protein later in the day definitely helps, because none was consumed at breakfast, your body ends up playing serotonin catch up all day every day.
Ms. Ross says that we all need about 20-30 grams of protein 3 times per day to fulfill the body’s requirement for amino acids in order to produce adequate neurotransmitters like serotonin.
Drinking coffee even if it’s bulletproof coffee first thing in the morning instead of breakfast has the double whammy effect of suppressing appetite as well. It’s the caffeine that reduces appetite so not only aren’t you getting the protein you need in the morning, but you likely won’t eat enough throughout the rest of the day either which further impacts serotonin and melatonin production in a negative way.
What good is feeling “energized and focused” from bulletproof coffee during the day if it also leaves you irritable, stressed, emotionally unstable and unable to get a quality night’s sleep when you get home?
Serotonin Deficiency Harms Sleep Quality
The research is ominous regarding serotonin deficiency causing insufficient melatonin production with the resulting effect of unwanted weight gain – even obesity over the long term.
According to Dr. Mercola, “it’s also well proven that lack of sleep is linked to obesity, while if you’re not getting enough sleep, there’s a good chance your melatonin production is not up to par either. The disturbance to your melatonin levels caused by lack of sleep may be one more reason why it leads to weight gain, and this could have far-reaching impacts on your health.”
In addition, Science Daily reported that scientists found that proper melatonin levels stimulate the production of beige fat, a heat-generating type of fat (also known as “good” or “thinning” fat) that helps your body to burn calories rather than store them.
Must Have Your BulletProof Coffee?
Long story short, if you must drink bulletproof coffee, at the very least, wait until after a protein-rich breakfast to do it!
This way, the impact on your serotonin and melatonin levels will not be as severe as drinking it as a replacement for breakfast with its appetite-suppressing effects affecting the rest of the day’s protein consumption as well.
You may find that this one simple change alone will leave you feeling happier, more emotionally flexible, less stressed, and with increased ability to tackle whatever challenges you face each day with improved self-confidence.
BulletProof Coffee Already Wrecked Your Sleep?
If you suspect that your serotonin levels are in the tank and you need neurotransmitter supplementation to help you with worry, anxiety, OCD thoughts or actions, depression, panic attacks, and/or chronic insomnia, Julia Ross recommends this dosage with the amino acid tryptophan:
- 5-Hydroxytryptophan (5-HTP – sources): 50 mg in the mid-afternoon and before bedtime.
OR
- L-tryptophan (sources): 500 mg in the mid-afternoon and again before bed especially if insomnia is a problem.
Note that 5-HTP is cheaper than L-tryptophan but some people get nausea from it, so switch to L-tryptophan if 5-HTP doesn’t work for you.
Raise the dosage as needed to eliminate low serotonin symptoms.
Once You’ve Got Your Serotonin Deficiency Under Control, Now What?
Once you’ve started eating breakfast again and eliminated or at least delayed your cup of bulletproof coffee until after you eat in the morning, you might perhaps feel motivated to try and wean yourself off coffee completely.
According to Julia Ross:
People who crave chocolate, coffee, alcohol, and even exercise are typically low in the neurotransmitter endorphin.
Using supplementation of the amino acids that are precursors to endorphin may really help in trying to shake the bulletproof coffee habit.
- Amino acid d-phenylalanine (DPA): 500 mg, 2-4X/day (sources). Use DPA if you are addicted to coffee and also an anxious person.
OR
- Amino acid d-phenylalanine (DPA) bound to the amino acid I-phenylalanine (LPA) – known in combination as DLPA: 500 mg, 2-3X/day (sources). Use DLPA if you crave the energizing effects of coffee and are not typically an anxious person.
Do you think a deficiency of neurotransmitters might be the reason some folks love their bulletproof coffee so much?
References and More Information
Why You Need to Change WHEN You Drink Coffee
Melatonin Regulates our Mood, Weight, Reproduction and May Fight Cancer
BC Recipe
Melatonin helps control weight gain
Why You Need to Change WHEN You Drink Coffee
Healthy Coffee Substitutes
Coconut Oil for Weight Loss
Coconut Oil Capsules: As Beneficial as Straight Up?
The Truth About Your Morning Coffee Fix
Also good quality homemade broth is great for breakfast with a piece of whole grain sour dough toast. Yum!
Sarah, BP coffee is meant to be drunk as part of an intermittent fasting diet, eating in an 8-hour window of time per day, for example. I have been doing this, though not totally strictly, for many months. I do not use coffee in my butter drink, nor do I use the MCT oil or coconut oil, since those do not agree with me, so I use extra butter to get more fat into my diet. It is said that by consuming BP coffee (or tea, or I particularly like raw cacao powder and cacao butter in my butter drink), you maintain the state of ketosis – the objective of intermittent fasting, so that your body is burning fat for fuel instead of sugar. The intention is that people who do this, eat plenty of food, high-quality protein and healthy fats during the day and are getting adequate calories. I always use non-caffeinated herbal tea in my butter drink and once in a while I use decaf coffee (or the cacao I mentioned). I follow Julia Ross’ amino acid therapy protocol as described in her book and have been on it for many months as well, so it is hard for me to know if the BP drinks with intermittent fasting is harmful in any way, since I take pretty high doses of amino acids. I feel so great and sleep well. What do you think of using a BP drink – meaning with butter, not coffee per se, with an intermittent fasting diet? Do you find there is any detriment there? I know people with adrenal fatigue should not do intermittent fasting. Curious to know your thoughts. Thanks!
I am not all that enthusiastic about the intermittent fasting idea. The folks I’ve seen using it don’t look very healthy to me to be quite honest. I would be very careful with it as almost everyone has adrenal issues to some degree anymore as stressful as our culture is … even if you really try to stay stress free it is very hard with all the chaos around you 24×7
fasting can be a stress-reliever, too.
and ‘3 square meals a day’ is as artificial a construct as high fructose corn syrup,
i find my sleep and digestion work best when i’m eating 1 – 1.5 meals a day. i fast on occasion for 24+ hours. and i put a tablespoon full of ghee in my coffee in the morning.
ps: echoing one of the other commentors, this post is kind of harsh compared to the more frequent, deliberate, well-argued posts i see here on a weekly basis.
Seriously? Fasting a stress reliever? Something that puts the body in a high state of biological stress is a stress reliever?
a measured reduction is blood pressure is a sign of stress relief, is it not?
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/3389203
Acute effects of short-term fasting on blood pressure, circulating noradrenaline and efferent sympathetic nerve activity
Eleven moderately obese women, aged 46-62 years, with a body mass index of 29-34 and with borderline hypertension (repeated diastolic blood pressure greater than 90 mmHg) fasted for 48 hours.
Systolic blood pressure (BP) was reduced from 158 +/- 3 mmHg to 146 +/- 5 mmHg (p less than 0.001) and diastolic BP from 96 +/- 3 mmHg to 89 +/- 3 mmHg (p less than 0.01) during the fast.
I agree. Humans, for 99 percent of our history, have not eaten three squares. That’s a luxury only afforded to us by the Neolithic revolution.
Stephanie, let me reassure you right away: you are not doing intermittent fasting.
If you are having a coffee or a herbal tea with tons of butter for breakfast this is NOT intermittent fasting, unless you skip dinner.
Anybody who tried BP coffee can tell the difference between having BP coffee and fasting. What makes you think drinking butter is similar to fasting? Because somebody who has an interest in selling you a very expensive coffee tells you so?
I’m not saying BP coffee is bad, I still find it delicious (with any good coffee, btw) but I think Dave Asprey is also a good business man.
Furthermore you say you feel great and sleep well. Why would you change something in your current way of eating? Don’t worry be happy!
I have never heard this explanation of how not eating breakfast can disturb your sleep, what an eye opener. I routinely skip breakfast and I have suffered with insomnia for years, basically since my first child was born. I occasionally do the bullet proof coffee thing but in general I stick to basic coffee–but it is an absolute must, more than any other thing I consume in my entire diet. One thing I will say, I literally have to choke down breakfast. The thought of eating in the morning makes me feel vaguely nauseous and any interest in food doesn’t enter my mind until about 11:30. If I do start ‘choking down’ protein in the morning, can I change this aversion?
I’ve been following the GAPS protocol for 11 months now and one of the “ah-ha” moments I had was when I read not to eat for a couple hours after waking. The first couple of hours upon waking the body is in detoxification mode, which is why a lot of people don’t get hungry until about 11am. I drink a glass of warm water (sometimes with a tablespoon for ACV or lemon in it) first thing and then wait at least an hour or two before eating soup, stew or whatever leftovers I have. I’ve never felt so satisfied from breakfast as I do using this method.
Sarah a lot of people are using bullet proof coffee for enemas. I would love if you’d do an article on coffee enemas. Everyone totes how great they are for you but I ended up severely dehydrated After trying them and then got a kidney infection. I can find lots of reasons on the internet why to do them but not very many reasons why not and I am not sure where I went wrong.
Plain coffee enemas are used for alternative cancer therapy (by oncologist Dr. Nicolas Gonzalez MD for one who has his patients do them multiple times per day) as they stimulate the liver to release the mother of all antioxidants – glutathione which is tremendously detoxifying. But, bulletproof coffee as an enema? Yikes.
I am glad you mention glutathione….Good quality, low temp processed whey protein is the best way to get glutathione into your body. I have a genetic issue where my detox pathways are not functioning. I don’t have/make enough glutathione. In fact a lot of people don’t. Liposomal glutathione supplements are partially effective ( I take one and receive IVs weekly-but for my son who likely has the same genetic issue, I make him smoothies with the whey)…but whey is a great way to get it from food. I think your relegating whey protein (even when processed at low temps) to factory food is unfortunate. I think whey protein is a nice ADDITION to a healthy diet. Especially for those with the genetic detox issue. And when people say they do a BP coffee enema they are usually talking about just using the BP brand coffee bc it is low in Mycotoxins. For those of us who have been mold-sick (people with the glutathinone issue often are) the low mycotoxin coffee is best for the enemas. Just some food for thought.
Whey protein powder is NOT Real Food! Why would you ever think a food that only a factory could produce with high tech equipment would be healthy?????
Sooooo how would you suggest getting a therapeutic amount of glutathione into one’s diet besides IVs? It is in other foods in VERY SMALL amounts. There are times when some things are necessary and making sweeping generalizations is unfortunate. Good for you that you don’t have to worry about it.
Coffee enema OR oils enema, not both at the same time!
Ayurvedic doctors recommend in certain cases an oil enema to pacify the vata dosha (tendancy towards dryness) which will cleanse the colon and nourish the body.
Coffee enema helps the liver to detoxify.
But BP coffee enemas? I agree with Sarah: yikes.
Hi Sarah,
I like to add Vital Proteins collagen peptides into my bullet proof style coffee in the AM.
4-6oz cup french press organic coffee
1T Raw Grassfed butter
1T MCT or Coconut Oil
2 Scoops Vital Proteins Collagen Peptides (blended in at the last 10 seconds so the proteins aren’t denatured)
I find that I still have hunger and typically still eat my breakfast an hour within waking and my blood sugar stays stable throughout the day. My breakfast is usually protein based with veggies as well.
I did enjoy reading your article as I do every post you write. Thanks!
Wow nothing I’ve ever read about bullet proof coffee ever put emphasis on skipping breakfast. It’s a way to enhance your morning routine. Why not add more healthy fats to your diet?! Bulletproof coffee is great when you have a light breakfast. I’m surprised by the aggressive nature of this article, mostly.
Nearly every single person I know who drinks bulletproof coffee skips breakfast as the fats in there are so filling they don’t want anything else particularly something with protein in it which is what they need WITH those healthy fats.
Sarah, I feel that you haven’t bothered to read anything else about this diet other than the coffee and fasting. First and foremost, Dave himself stresses in his book that the intermittent fasting may not be the best option for women. He talks clearly about how women shouldn’t fast, at least not for the length of time he suggests. Further, the fasting is simply there to kick start the fat burning process.
You made a comment about protein here which furthers my belief that you’ve read nothing about this diet. While Dave supports eating organic, grass-fed meats, he also goes on to explain why taking a protein fast day is beneficial to you. Unfortunately, I will not explain this to someone who has decided to slander something without having actually read anything they’ve written. Also, you can eat protein on this diet, you do so in the 6 hour window in which you eat your calories for the day.
I’ve actually done the diet and the fasting. The first day, I did not feel hungry, but I did feel that I should be eating something. I stress again, I did not feel hungry at all. That was the best part of this diet. I was able to concentrate on everything I had to do because I wasn’t distracted by feelings of hunger. The first night, I ate a lot of veggies and a big dinner meal between 2-8, but I didn’t eat out of hunger, I ate because that was the time I was supposed to eat and I ate a lot because I was told to eat my days calories in that window. The second day on, I only ate a normal sized dinner meal. I lost about 10 pounds and my size 32 pants started to fit me again.
As far as sleep, I normally only get about 6 hours a night and even when I get a “good” nights sleep, I feel groggy and tired. By the third day of this diet, I was down to 5 hours of sleep and I woke up feeling refreshed and ready to go.
So, are you ignoring the folks who add collagen protein to this for the purposes of sensationalism?
As I have said in previous comments, no one I know doing bulletproof coffee is adding protein and when they do, the protein source doesn’t contain any tryptophan. I still don’t think this is a good idea though as mentioned in the post … the caffeine in the morning acts as an appetite suppressant and causes cravings for sweets/carbs later in the day and not enough protein would be consumed later either. I would suggest reading Julia Ross’ take on coffee and why it screws up neurotransmitters for many people.
What you think and what the results are are two totally separate ideas. If you check the stories and the outcomes of people who did this, the results are positive. I am one such case. No exercise, nothing other than intermittent fasting and 2 cups of Bulletproof coffee each morning and here were my results: I felt more focused, I slept better, got to sleep faster, woke up refreshed, lost about 10 pounds (my size 32s fit for the first time in about 8 years), and I was no longer craving sugary garbage. I decided to see what would happen if I stopped this diet, so I stopped for a week. I intentionally ate the way I used to and I gained most of the weight back, I slept horribly, woke up feeling tired, was cloudy during the day and couldn’t remember things and I got a bit bloated, to the point where my 32’s didn’t fit again. I was constantly hungry and in turn constantly searching for food instead of focusing on my work.
This notion of three meals a day didn’t exist in the first few thousand years of us as a species and we managed to make it this far. I agree, fueling your brain first thing in the morning is very important, but that is what the butter and MCT/coconut oil is for.
I see you over stressing the importance of protein and I can tell you from the horrors in the mens bathroom in gyms world wide, protein in excess is not good for you at all. Further, if you actually take the time to read the book, Dave explains why limiting protein and even taking a protein fast day once a week is important to your cells.
The notion that “Bulletproof coffee causes weight gain” and your horrible use of an obese woman drinking coffee do nothing to dispute the facts and personal success stories of all of those who did this and lost weight. When I was in college and took a research writing class, one thing above all else was stressed: credible sources. I would gladly read any that you can provide that debunk this diet and prove your claim that coffee with organic, grass-fed butter and MCT/coconut oil causes weight gain. From my understanding of biology, the fact that we are no more than overclocked apes and the Bulletproof diet along with several others that I’ve tried in the past, this diet and it’s premises make perfect sense.
BPC never set me up for sweet cravings later in the day.Why would it? I don’t put sugar in my coffee. Just 100 percent cacao, butter and stevia and it keeps me alert, focused an energetic until noon and I certainly don’t overeat later in the day. If I eat protein for breakfast I just go back to bed.
Never slept better. Never felt better. I’m sure you’ll get lots of hits to your site though, by jumping on the bandwagon. I’ll keep my BPC….thanks.
I love a soft boiled egg with a buttery slice of toasted sourdough . It does it for me – everytime!
Personally, I don’t need breakfast, but in the rare times I’m hungry in the morning, its eggs, cheese, and meat, cooked in butter. Usually, it just makes me feel tired while it digests. Since I eat right, my body has stores of everything – I still have fat to burn for energy, and like many overdo on the protein. Especially after going low-carb.
Maybe add egg whites or whole eggs to the bp coffee?
Everyone’s different. But even the “3 meals a day” is an old tradition – Breakfast was after a few hours of hard work, not just after waking up.
Neither experts nor fads are smarter than your own body. And the test is practical – are you alert and focused all day? Your sleep is ok – whether it is 6 or 9 hours, deep or light. Is your digestion ok? You are eating right there (I have some unsweetened active culture yogurt and resistant starch that clears up problems). Are you merely “under the weather” when the rest of the gang is home recovering? Your immune system is working.
Bulletproof Coffee might help some people. Some skip but need breakfast so this might help. It is also low-carb, so is better than lots of OJ and cereal. It is better than a bad breakfast.
Do you have any recommendations for nutritious protein rich breakfasts?
Bacon and eggs, a cup of soaked porridge of some kind (oatmeal and teff are both delicious), a yogurt smoothie … so many options.
Ok, thank! I usually eat a kefir smoothie, and sometimes add a scrambled egg if I’m still hungry, but wasn’t sure from what you were saying if that is enough protein.
After being on GAPS Diet for 2.5 years, and still having a lot of issues that were not being helped, I finally capitulated and went with the advice of my TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine) practitioner had me start eating white rice again (Jasmine or Basmati). He wants me eating a small portion daily. I eat what is probably considered to be about a 1/2 portion and I eat in the morning for breakfast in the traditional Chinese form of congee. Congee is basically a rice cereal, similar to cream of wheat, but made with water (or you can use broth). The traditional method is to make it on the stove top, but that requires a lot of watching and stirring. I make it in the crock pot. You use a large ratio of water to rice. When I was researching on how to do this, the ratios were either 8:1, 9:1, or 10:1 (the larger number being water). I usually go with 9:1 and also throw in a few of my ice cube sized frozen cubes of bone broth. I only make 3/4 of a cup of rice total to last the entire week. The cooked congee gives me a generous 1/2 cup (meaning I don’t measure exactly and go over the top of the measuring cup a bit) serving of congee that I then reheat. When I reheat it, I add a couple of hard boiled eggs and some ghee (along with seasoning. There are a number of ways to eat congee, you could add bits of meat as well. Other cultures apparently do the same type of cooked “cereal” using other grains and/or quinoa. Although for my condition, the TCM wants me eating the white rice. So this has been my breakfast for the past several weeks. Sometimes I take a break from it and scramble a couple of eggs and pour them thinly into a pan to make a “tortilla” that I then add filling to. My favorite way is with some mashed avocado, boiled chicken (from making broth each week) and salsa. You can add various things to this such as pre-cooked ground beef, shredded pork, whatever you happen to have on hand basically.