Keto coffee, also known as "bulletproof coffee," has gained immense popularity among individuals adhering to a ketogenic diet. This high-fat, low-carb beverage offers a range of potential benefits, including sustained energy, improved mental clarity, and enhanced fat burning. The quality of coffee you choose plays a crucial role in maximizing these benefits.
What is Keto Coffee?
Keto coffee is more than just a trendy drink; it's a powerful tool for those following a ketogenic diet or looking to reap the benefits of a high-fat, low-carb lifestyle. The drink is intended to fuel your day by replacing carb-heavy breakfasts. It was created by the originator of the Bulletproof diet, Dave Asprey, an American entrepreneur and author. The drink has become popular with low-carb and keto diet followers.
Benefits of Keto Coffee
- Maintains Ketosis: Keto coffee helps maintain a state of ketosis, where the body burns fat for fuel instead of carbohydrates. For those following a low-carb, high-fat diet, bulletproof coffee fits the ketogenic style of eating because it contains no carbs and the body converts the MCT oil to ketones. This effect is thought to be more effective in the absence of a meal.
- Provides Steady, Long-Lasting Energy: Unlike traditional coffee that can cause an energy crash due to blood sugar spikes, keto coffee provides steady, long-lasting energy. Drinking this coffee will break your fast from the night time, but it will ramp up your metabolism with caffeine and fats.
- Increases Satiety: The combination of healthy fats in keto coffee helps keep you feeling full and satisfied, reducing the need for mid-morning snacks.
- Enhances Cognitive Function: MCT oil, a key ingredient in keto coffee, is rapidly converted into ketones by the liver. These ketones serve as a clean energy source for the brain, improving mental clarity, focus, and cognitive function.
- Gentle on Digestion: Choosing the right coffee, such as low-acid options, ensures that your keto coffee is gentle on your digestive system.
The Importance of Coffee Quality
Many people experience discomfort after consuming regular coffee due to its high acidity. The type of coffee you select can significantly impact your digestive comfort and overall experience.
Low-Acid Coffee: A Gentle Option
Toomer’s Coffee Roasters specializes in low-acid coffee blends that are not only smooth and rich in flavor but also easy on your digestive system. Each coffee has a unique personality based on the altitude, soil, and rainfall.
Infrared Roasting: Preserving Flavor and Reducing Acidity
Another distinguishing feature of Toomer’s Coffee is its infrared roasting process. Unlike conventional roasting methods that can produce uneven results and burn the coffee beans, infrared roasting uses radiant heat to evenly roast the beans, preserving more of the bean’s natural oils and flavors. Infrared roasting also reduces bitterness and acidity, making it a superior choice for those who want a high-quality brew.
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Choosing the Right Coffee for Your Keto Coffee
When selecting coffee for your keto coffee, consider the following factors:
- Acidity: Opt for low-acid coffee blends to minimize digestive discomfort.
- Roasting Process: Choose coffee that has been roasted using methods that preserve flavor and reduce bitterness.
- Quality: Select high-quality, small-batch roasted coffee for the best taste and experience.
How to Make Keto Coffee
Preparing keto coffee is quick and simple:
- Brew Your Coffee: Start with a 16 oz. cup of your favorite coffee. If you’re using a pour over method, grind to the size of kosher salt (or a bit smaller). Fill your coffee filter and wet the coffee with a little bit of water, allowing around 30 seconds for it to “bloom”.
- Add the Fats: Once your coffee is brewed, pour it into a blender. Add 1 tablespoon of grass-fed butter and 1 tablespoon of organic MCT oil. Cut off 2 Tbsp. of grass fed butter. I’m surprised at how few people use the packages markings - just cut into it, they work! I personally prefer salted butter, but many don’t. Drop in the butter, add 1 tsp. of vanilla extract, and plunk in the 2 Tbsp. Last but not least, the 1 Tbsp. of Heavy Cream.
- Blend: Blend the mixture for 20-30 seconds in a traditional blender or immersion blender until it becomes frothy and creamy. Mix it all together with your immersion blender. Usually between 45-60 seconds gets a great frothy cap on the top. Make sure to move the immersion blender up and down to emulsify all of the fat into the coffee. Go on and try to mix this up with a fork, you’ll be sitting there for 20 minutes and having terrible results. Oil doesn’t mix with water unless you give it some help.
- Watch out when you’re pouring with the froth on top (it can drip down the side), but your ketoproof coffee is finished!
Key Ingredients for Keto Coffee
- Coffee: Choose a high-quality, low-acid coffee blend. Our favorite brew is made with a pour over and goose-neck kettle. I chose the Bonavita Variable Temp Kettle because it’s on the cheaper side for the quality that you can get. For the pour over, we have an Osaka “Lake Masu” Pour over. It’s really just for the design - I think it looks fantastic. You can easily get a cheap one here that’ll do the same exact thing though. If you’re not a morning person and just want a quick and easy cup of coffee, you can always consider a Keurig Coffee Maker. I’ve owned numerous in the past and they’re great machines if you want convenience. It doesn’t take up much more room than a regular coffee maker and you can usually get small drawers or stands that will hold the k-cups for you. Even though k-cups have come a long way on consumer safety and ecological factors, you still might want to grind your own fresh coffee. Luckily, you can grab a small k-cup attachment that lets you brew any coffee you want in it.
- Grass-Fed Butter: Cows that have a diet of fresh grass yields butter that has improved consistency and nutritional properties. The increase of fresh grass in the diet proportionally increases the amount of fat content, specifically unsaturated fats, which gives a pleasant firmness.
- MCT Oil: MCT (Medium Chain Triglyceride) oil. Coconut oil technically is MCT (Medium Chain Triglyceride) oil, well about 65-80% MCT anyway.
Keto Coffee Variations and Recipes
- Bulletproof Coffee: Tested for toxins coffee beans, highly-concentrated Brain Octane C8 MCT Oil, and grass-fed butter or ghee blend together for a frothy zero-carb latte to power you all morning long.
- Bulletproof Keto Creamer: Don’t have a blender? Don’t have time to measure and blend? Bulletproof Keto Creamer is an easy way to get your Bulletproof Coffee in every morning. Just scoop our powdered coffee creamer into your morning joe, and stir vigorously to dissolve.
- Iced Keto Coffee: Get all the benefits of hot keto Bulletproof Coffee - all in one cool, refreshing recipe. While the original recipe calls for instant coffee and sugar, our take places fluffy egg white flavored with monk fruit and black coffee on top of a cool glass of oat or cashew milk. Each glass is only 3.2 net carbs. Iced coffee, or protein shake? You don’t need to feel restricted anymore.*Not a fan of hemp hearts? Simply brew your coffee, add warm coconut milk, and top with a beautiful, easy-to-prep foam.
Keto Coffee While Eating Out
How to stick to a keto diet, and still drink coffee out at a cafe. We have listed out all the options on what you can order, whilst sticking to your diet.
- Espresso shot: An espresso shot or a “short black” is just a shot of coffee with nothing added to it. Not a fan of milk in your coffee? This is the way to go.
- Long Black: Aromatic with a strong base, the long black is any coffee lovers go-to wake up call! It is a diluted espresso with a much more intense taste.
- Americano: It refers to a warm Italian drink cited as “American coffee”.
- Latte: An espresso drink with brewing milk finished with a splash of foam.
- Cappuccino: A thick espresso drink with lightly frosted milk. Similar to a cappuccino, but no chocolocate on top.
- Iced Coffee: A simple one, iced coffee includes coffee with ice, milk and cream. But to make it keto friendly, don’t add the cream, and no ice cream.
- Lungo: An espresso with a long pull or prolonged extraction.
- Cold Brew: This iced coffee is a smooth, refreshing beverage by steeping finely ground coffee in chilled water.
Keto-Friendly Additives
- Sugar free sweeteners such as stevia can be an excellent alternative to traditional sugar. Normal sugar could pull you out of ketosis.
- Milk, coconut oil or grass-fed butter to add healthy fats, as well as incorporating a low-carb protein powder for an added boost.
Ingredients to avoid
- Nothing. Try our Healthy Diet Plan, packed with 7 days of nourishing breakfasts, lunches and dinners - available exclusively within the Good Food app.
Potential Benefits of Keto Coffee
Fat Loss
Plain and simple, the consumption of medium-chain triglycerides (MCT) has been shown to lead to greater losses in adipose tissue (fat tissue), in both animals and humans.
More Energy
Studies have shown that the rapid rate of oxidation in MCFAs (Medium Chain Fatty Acids) leads to an increase in energy expenditure.
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Debunking Myths About Saturated Fat
The myth that saturated fat increases the chance of Coronary Heart Disease has been debunked over and over.
Potential Downsides of Keto Coffee
One of the main downsides of drinking a bulletproof coffee instead of breakfast is that you're missing out on the opportunity to eat a nutrient-dense meal. Instead, you're consuming a drink that's high in fat, but lacks valuable nutrients.
The fats included in bulletproof coffee are predominantly high in saturates - for example, just 1 tbsp of unsalted butter supplies 12.3g fat, more than half of which is saturates. When combined with the recommended MCT oil, one cup of bulletproof coffee will supply more than your maximum daily reference intake for saturated fat (20g) and approximately 242-354kcal per cup (depending on the amount of butter added).
It’s well known that caffeine gives us a boost, and it does this by acting as a trigger on our adrenal glands, the organs which manage our stress response. High intakes of caffeine over an extended period of time may tire the adrenal glands, which will impact our endocrine system and subsequent hormonal balance. Also, some people find that consuming caffeine triggers a stress response, and may increase the body’s reaction to perceived stress during normal daily activities, such as in a work environment. Some animal studies have also suggested that the effect of caffeine on our adrenals may be particularly relevant at certain life stages, such as during puberty.
Considerations and Precautions
Although recent studies examining low-carb, high-fat diets appear to suggest that on average, these diets don't necessarily increase your levels of total and LDL cholesterol, it is worth proceeding with caution. This is because the long-term effects of this way of eating are unknown and recommendations for daily fat intake remain unchanged. Based on the available research, ketogenic diets may be associated with some improvements in cardiovascular factors including obesity, type 2 diabetes and HDL cholesterol levels, however, these effects are thought to be limited over time.
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Best Time to Drink Keto Coffee
Bulletproof coffee is typically consumed first thing in the morning however, some experts argue that it may be better to wait until around 10am. This is because your natural cortisol levels generally peak between 8-9am, so the effect of caffeine may be more effective when they start to dip later in the morning.
Is Keto Coffee Right for You?
If you're considering incorporating bulletproof coffee into your diet, it's worth checking that your blood fats (including cholesterol) are not elevated. The current advice for those with cholesterol problems is to avoid high levels of saturated fats, including butter, in your diet.
Pregnant women and those who are breastfeeding are advised to minimise their consumption of caffeine and to eat regular balanced meals, so bulletproof coffee is unlikely to be appropriate.
For some people, who are sensitive to the effects of caffeine, regular consumption, in any form, may increase anxiety, headaches and cause sleep disturbance.
Speak to your GP if you're concerned that your dietary choices may have an impact on your risk of illness including heart disease.