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Coffee, butter and oil. Separately, the three hardly make for a balanced breakfast or even a complete food group. Together, however, this blend of brewed coffee, unsalted butter and virgin coconut oil has become the newest diet trend – Bulletproof Coffee. The drink is catching on as a breakfast substitute for low carb high fat (LCHF), or keto, diet advocates to boost energy and burn fat in the morning.
Born in Silicon Valley, this concoction is the brainchild of cloud-computing maverick Dave Asprey, who was inspired by the yak butter-infused tea served in Nepal. This coffee drink is said to prompt weight loss by way of ketosis, a metabolic state triggered by a lack of carbs that kicks fat-burning into overdrive. It is also said to kill cravings, thanks to the butter.
While Silicon Valley has found many fans of this drink, with Bulletproof cafes springing up, the trend is only just making its way to India’s tech capital. Though nothing can replace the copious amounts of the frothy filter coffee the city consumes, in the last few months alone, several cafes and restaurants have introduced a version of the bulletproof coffee on their menu.
While Social has added a coconut milk twist to this concoction, others like Coffee Mechanics in HBR Layout have stuck to the traditional recipe. Pure and Sure, an organic café in Jayanagar, substitutes the butter with A2 desi ghee. Burger Seigneur in Indiranagar, a hotbed for gyms, recently added the Bulletproof Coffee to its specials menu to meet the demand for keto from iron pumpers.
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R Shreyas, a 28-year-old model, is one such fan. He hits the gym twice a day for an intensive workout, but his mornings are incomplete without a cup of Bulletproof Coffee. He was introduced to this drink by his gym instructor last year. “It helps me feel more energetic and maintain muscle weight. It doesn’t taste great, but now I’m used to it.”
Nutritionist Parvathy N Menon, however, is skeptical. She terms the coffee a high-calorie, poor substitute to meals that lacks nutrients. “People on keto often take to this drink. While it can be used as a quick weight-loss fix as it keeps you full and kills cravings, it lacks all the nutrients needed for a balanced diet.”
While some of her clients do consume bulletproof coffee as it can shock the body into losing weight, Menon says the right diet should always be a right mix of proteins, complex carbohydrates and fats. However, she cautions against regular consumption without first undergoing medical tests, as the high fat content in the coffee could affect cholesterol levels.
Diet coach Aniruddha Shankar agrees. “I am ambivalent about this drink as it can be counterproductive with ambiguous results. I disallow it for my clients in their first month of my programme,” he says. “Many of my clients have done very well without ever consuming it, so it is certainly not essential.”