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
If you have ever heard Dave Asperey speak about bulletproof coffee he never speaks of skipping breakfast? He presents a lot of science why properly sourced proteins and fats and well balanced meals all day are the key to weight loss and health. Blame the misinformed author not the product…
Unfortunately, this is how most people are implementing it!
I never thought it was suggested to skip breakfast either though because of the fat it does make it more difficult to get my protein. I had just been working harder to make sure and eat.
I do really enjoy this coffee a lot. But I do have 20lbs. to loose, is your position don’t drink it at all if you want to loose weight? I thought taking a tablespoon of coconut oil was beneficial to loosing weight.
Thank you for the info.
Actually I have heard Dave say many times that he drinks Bulletproof coffee for breakfast, with no additional food, thus “skipping” or “replacing” breakfast.
I drink bulletproof coffee with collagen protein powder from pasture raised happy cows every morning. I sleep great and I eat a hearty and healthy lunch and dinner. It keeps me satisfied until lunchtime and I find I do have much better focus and memory.
I think you’ve missed the boat on this one, Sara. Despite Julia’s “theory” re: breakfast, I have not found any problems w/ serotonin or melatonin when substituting breakfast for Bulletproof coffee (BC); while you may crave carbs later when you skip breakfast, BC keeps me satisfied for hours, AND Dave Asprey recommends that if weight loss is your goal that you add a dose of grassfed collagen protein to the coffee, and I can say from experience that any protein cravings are satisfied by doing this. Also, why would you be “irritable” etc. when you’re “focused and energized”? That’s oxymoronic!
How long have you been doing bulletproof coffee … just curious? I don’t doubt there may be a short term benefit which is what tends to suck people in that a fad is “good for them” and it’s the silver bullet that they’ve been looking for (which doesn’t exist). It’s the long haul when these types of things wreak havoc with hormones and health.
I’ve been drinking bulletproof/butter coffee (and tea) with collagen for well over a year, every day, sometimes twice a day. I have one WITH my breakfast of eggs, some kind of grass fed or pastured meat and sauerkraut. I also may have one before my evening workout. My sleep is fine. My body fat is balanced. My blood sugar is low. My hormones are completely balanced. My weight is exactly where it should be. This whole idea of everything is 100% good or bad is what is making everyone so confused about food. There needs to be acknowledgment of the individual.
You know a LOT of people add collagen protein and even gelatin to their BP coffee? Some people even add eggs. Do some more research and cover all the basis before tossing bp off as a fad. I’d say the wide majority of people are not drinking it for weight-loss to begin with. I don’t know anyone drinking it for weight loss. Do you know how BP came about? You should read into it. It had absolutely nothing to do with weight loss.
A lot of people also drink BP because of how clean it is, especially if you are sensitive to molds. There is a night and day difference between BP and regular coffee. How many people are crashing and having negative experiences with coffee because the coffee itself is poorly produced and full of myco-toxins? My guess is many. I stopped drinking coffee a while ago because of those very things, but revisited it with BP. After playing around with it, I have to say that there is no comparison. I don’t have any of the problems I used to have when I drank regular coffee. I’m a big stickler for testing things with a log, elimination experiments etc. There’s a lot more to BP.
Everybody also isn’t the same. There are plenty of people that thrive without breakfast. Read the Warrior diet by Ori Hofmekler. It’s a good book. I rarely ever eat breakfast, never really have. My body doesn’t like starting the day with a meal.
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.
Why do you let so-called ‘science’ of neurotransmitters trump the actual experience of a huge number of people? Bulletproof Coffee simply works! And amazingly so for almost anyone who tried it. It’s certainly works great for me — and I sleep like a baby. Very disappointing to read your comments, Sarah. And unlike the Weston A. Price kind of views. I doubt you’ve even tried it. And indigenous peoples like the Tibetans have historically had butter in their tea. And the “Breakfast as most important meal of the day” thing is a marketing idea for processed cereals. I learned that at a WAPF conference. Do you have the guts to try BPC and find out for yourself?
This article is about the folly of replacing a healthy breakfast with bulletproof coffee and how it’s going to shoot you in the foot in the long term if you think it is a good replacement for actual food. If you love your bulletproof coffee so much, then fine … drink it. But please eat breakfast first!
Breakfast was not always a luxury for human beings. Like someone above said, it’s a marketing ploy by cereal companies. For millions of years people had to move around to find food first. They didn’t roll out of bed and cook some eggs and bacon.
I agree with you Sarah, BPC is not a healthy breakfast.
If one must drink coffee, then at least it’s a way to lessen the blow to blood sugar. A protein rich breakfast with a healthy amount of fat is the best way to keep blood sugar stable, quell cravings, and ultimately lose weight. If you like coffee, add a Tbs of butter and a Tbs. of coconut oil, blend it up and call it good. If you can have cream, then add raw cream instead.
Personally, I can’t digest that much fat on an empty stomach. It makes me feel sick. I’ll stick with my pastured bacon and eggs!
As a holistic nutritionist with a solid foundation of weston a. price principles AND respect for science that comes from the paleo and biohacking communities (Bulletproof Executive) I have to tell you I’m disappointed with this piece. It feels like a marketing ploy to get hits on your blog. It’s inflammatory, poorly researched and offers one point of view as fact.
I’m personally embracing the culture of self-experimentation based on ancedotal and research-based evidence in the field of nutrition and I think a posture of collaboration and open-mindedness is crucial to helping the largest number of people find health through food.
My own experiences with bulletproof coffee and those of my clients have been mostly positive, although there does seem to be a tendency to under-consume food due to the appetite-suppressing effects and I agree that for some people, eating breakfast first may be an appropriate strategy. I’ve also seen some clients experience a rebound weight gain, especially women and I strongly discourage anyone from drinking more than one cup per day. I’ve not had any clients experience sleep issues after adopting bulletproof coffee or intermittent fasting. It’s crucial to start with very high quality coffee beans, organic and shade-grown at the very least. The advent of bulletproof coffee came about through ancient wisdom tradition when Dave was given yak butter tea in Tibet as a restorative. He, of course augmented and changed the recipe and that may or may not be appropriate for an individual.
On another note, to discount intermittent fasting as a viable approach to nutrition because of an arbitrary observation is simply irresponsible. A five minute google search turns up valid scientific results and intriguing conversations about the benefits of intermittent fasting.. Human nutrition is an ever-evolving field and fundamentalist black/white thinking has no place in the responsible forward movement of this field. Let’s be open to what we know about traditional nutrition wisdom AND see how science, self-experimentation and clinical evidence add to the depth of knowledge.
Amen, Ellie!
One size does not fit all. I have found intermittent fasting, in the form of a compressed eating window (typically I restrict my eating to between noon and about 8 p.m.), very helpful for minor weight loss and improved digestion. I have found that eating breakfast makes me hungrier the rest of the day, not less. This is such an individual decision, I don’t think it makes any sense to make blanket recommendations for or against breakfast, except in the case of children. They need it, but not all adults do well eating breakfast. I can’t eat it very early, especially before going to yoga class at 10 a.m.
It’s good to remember that women do have different responses to IF and low-carb dieting for that matter, and the best advice I’ve found is for women to do a carb re-feed a couple of times a week because cutting carbohydrates too much can result in adrenal stress in women in particular. Cut carbs overall, but loosen up a couple of times a week for best results, in other words.
Similarly, individual reactions to coffee vary greatly. I have always been very sensitive to caffeine, but the many health benefits I’ve been reading about moderate coffee consumption have convinced me to keep trying to find a way to make it work for me. I have found that if I’m regular in my magnesium supplementation and drink coffee no more than about 1 cup every other day, then I do really well. I used to do it Bulletproof style and I still do a modified version. Since I drink Chameleon Cold Brew and don’t bother to heat it, I usually skip the butter and just add MCT oil. That and sometimes a slice or two of bacon keeps me satisfied for hours. I do not consider that a detriment. My digestion seems to work better if I don’t overload my belly with too many meals in a day; two is usually better for me than one, but I don’t force myself to stick to a hard-and-fast rule.
Correction, I meant to write: two meals is usually better for me than THREE not one! Once meal is not enough for me.
Your mileage may vary.
i would suggest that if eating breakfast makes your hungrier you might want to look at you blood sugar/insulin metabolic areas – it could be an imbalance in your blood sugar, which i am sure you are aware isn’t a great picture. not eating breakfast because it makes your hungrier isn’t a good sign from my professional perspective
Thanks for offering a very rational perspective.
I have use coffee and coconut oil for years now and in my case it make me sharper in the mornings. Just the coconut oil gives my brain a boost of mental energy. I’ve tried many different breakfast ideas and none work as well as the coconut oil. Do I have some health issues? Yes, I do! But I have found that things work for some but not all. I to use intermittent fasting, do I look sickly? From the comments I get from people, they think I look much younger then I actually am. Many comment on how healthy I look for my age, 57. First off if you haven’t tried something yourself, you only have an opinion based on what you have experienced or the information of others which could be disinformation at best. We are all different and each person should make a decision based on what it does for there own health. While we make look the same, we are not all going to react the same!
Sarah, I have never commented until now. I am 70 years old and lived on coffee for most of my adult life because of brain fog–since I was 12. I am now paying the price and looking for the real causes, not the least of which is crushed thyroid and adrenals I am sure. I hate to bad mouth Dave, but I have come to believe that his hacking which includes lots of short cuts don’t really solve the root problems. I love coffee, but it really can be a stressor. Anxiety is not real energy even if you feel sharp. It is very easy to accept the stimulant as a substitute.
I have suffered to stay slim my whole life and have succeeded, but that alone is not real health. If you NEED coffee, don’t kid yourself you have a problem. Try Vietnamese coffee using Teecino, eggs, cinnamon, and butter/cream if you are so short on time. Just be gentle with the eggs as they poach. Then get to more real food. Sandra
To be fair, Dave Asprey does not advocate overconsumption of coffee, and he certainly does not suggest living on coffee, Bulletproof or not. It is only a minor part of an overall very healthful diet: grass-fed meats and wild-caught fish, plenty of good fats and vegetables, some fruits, and coffee uncontaminated by mycotoxins. I’m pretty sure he would say not to overdo coffee at the expense of your adrenal glands. I’m not into bio-hacking the way Dave is, but he does in fact emphasis getting the diet right as the fundamental change to improve health.
I appreciate the article. I drink BP coffee most mornings because it is a good way for me to get coconut oil in my diet. But I always eat a full breakfast.
Certainly food for thought
I think you have not done enough homework on this and I belong to about 25 Low Carb fb pages and websites, most do not replace breakfast with BPC. You are coming to some erroneous conclusions. 🙂