After our recent Cooking with CBD post, we wanted to start diving a little deeper into more specific recipes. This week, we thought we’d cover something rather popular within the CBD sphere: bulletproof coffee.

Discussions about CBD infused foods, particularly coffee, have become more common. As the industry evolves, CBD infused coffee and coffee shops are beginning to pop up all over the place. More specifically, bulletproof coffee in particular has set itself out as a part of the ketogenic diet (Keto for short) going hand in hand with a variety of health claims. In this post, prepare for a breakdown of what bulletproof coffee is, the science behind it, and an easy recipe you can try at home.

What is Bulletproof Coffee?

CBD aside, bulletproof coffee was originally marketed by a guy named Dave Asprey, who was the creator of something called the Bulletproof Diet. From there, the drink got more popular, with people creating their own recipes and eventually incorporating CBD into the mix. Typically, it combines coffee, unsalted butter, and medium chain triglycerides (MCT) oil. CBD is such an easy addition due to the fact that a lot of CBD oils use MCT as a carrier, and a few drops of oil are always easy to add into a drink anyway.

There are a few cautions to be noted around bulletproof coffee, however, though some of these come down to how the coffee is being marketed. For starters, it doesn’t contain a lot of nutrients, so skipping a meal for a coffee in the morning may not provide your body with all the nutrition it needs throughout the day. It’s also high in saturated fats, and the added butter may raise cholesterol levels. Additionally, Dave Asprey, the Bulletproof coffee guy, doesn’t have any health or nutrition credentials.

The Science

Bulletproof coffee is said to have several health benefits, such as suppressing appetite, being a meal alternative, and including several vitamins like A, D, and K. It’s also Keto, which is a diet said to help burn fat and have a variety of potential health benefits in itself.

As of right now, however, there aren’t any studies looking into bulletproof coffee specifically. Most of what we do know is more related to coffee in general, such as its ability to help us stay alert, and its potential to help with cognitive functioning. On the flip side, however, caffeine may elevate our stress responses and cortisol levels, though this other research synthesis found that coffee appears to be safe within normal intake amounts (less than three to four cups a day). There has also been some research into the potential health benefits of MCT oil, including promoting weight loss, providing energy, managing blood sugar, and helping to manage a variety of diseases.

In terms of CBD more specifically, we’ve already spoken quite a bit about the science and what we do know about how it impacts our bodies. Here we’ve linked a post discussing the general science around CBD, including things like the endocannabinoid system and how it influences different receptors throughout our bodies. Other posts include more specific things, like CBD for focus, pain, or anxiety. Definitely check them out if you need a refresher on what we do know about CBD so far, the science, and our bodies.

Dosage and Bioavailability

Besides standard coffee, adding CBD to your drink has been discussed as a way to potentially mitigate caffeine jitters as well as getting more CBD into your body. When it comes to dosing however, it’s not always that simple. This article in particular discusses some of the potential challenges related to consuming CBD in your coffee. They say that proper dosing can be a challenge, due to how heat may impact the makeup and bioavailability of the CBD. Put simply, even if you already know what dose of CBD works well for you, that dose may change when adding it to a coffee. Additionally, your body may not be absorbing as much CBD when you drink it as you might like.

Generally though, when it comes to dose, the idea is to start low and go slow, gradually increasing the amount until you’re able to find what works well for you. Even if you’re a CBD veteran, again, dosage may vary when adding CBD to coffee, so it might take a few tries to get the CBD ratio correct.

The term bioavailability refers to how much of a substance is actually being absorbed into your body. Orally taken CBD, as in the case of CBD coffee or other edibles, is known to be less bioavailable due to how our body metabolizes substances in the liver. However, there is some research that suggests consuming CBD with fatty foods (such as MCT oil or butter) can help increase bioavailability.

On another note, CBD is known to interact with specific medications, changing the way they’re metabolized in our bodies. Since this is a bigger topic, we’ve spoken about it in more detail here. The bottom line though is that if you’re considering mixing CBD with other medications or substances, always check in with your doctor first.

Bulletproof Coffee Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 cup brewed coffee
• 1-2 tbsp butter (organic and grass-fed)
• CBD oil according to your own personal preference
• 1-2 tsp MCT oil (or less, depending on how much CBD you’re using).

Steps

• Mix it all up in a blender until it’s frothy.
• Alternatively, use a milk frother or a similar kitchen tool available to you

Notes

• MCT oil is often derived from coconut oil, which can be used as an alternative.
• Feel free to customize the recipe, adding cinnamon or other sweeteners.
• Once you master this, feel free to try iced versions, or play around with adding milks and creamers and other fun additions.
• Adding the CBD last, when the coffee isn’t as hot, may help to reduce the impact heat has on its makeup and bioavailability.

TL;DR

Although some of the science into the health benefits of bulletproof coffee are a little underdeveloped, it still might be a treat worth trying. The addition of CBD, in our opinion, is always a positive. Keeping in mind that dosing might be more challenging when it comes to coffee due to bioavailability, proper daily nutrition, moderation, and CBD medication interactions, hopefully you’ll find a time to enjoy bulletproof coffee as your next treat.