Science doesn’t make general claims.
Or so I read once. It is the word claim that is the sticking point. It rankles. Science starts wide and continues to narrow as the evidence rolls in. Science doesn’t need to claim or expound or exhort. Science just follows the facts wherever they go until they reach an endpoint, at which point, whatever is left is what is left. Am I right?
This is where I should tell you that I went to a high school with a modular scheduling system that somehow allowed me to avoid all science and math classes my Junior and Senior years, so don’t take all my thoughts on science as gospel. I’m not a scientist. I’m not a medical professional.
In this Coffee Smarter session of the podcast, we tackle bulletproof coffee, which is both a brand name and a term that has become synonymous with a high-fat coffee drink that blends MCT oil, butter, and coffee together.
The Bulletproof recipe for a morning coffee drink is 1 cup of Bulletproof coffee. 1-2 teaspoons of MCT oil and 1-2 teaspoons of unsalted, grass-fed butter or ghee.
MCT is short for medium-chain triglycerides. The roots of these triglycerides are found in coconut oil or palm oil and then enhanced by humans to create a fatty acid that is easily digestible and mostly tasteless, making it an effective way to add lots of fat to something without altering the taste too dramatically.
Bulletproof, the brand makes a lot of claims about their coffee beans. They do not show their work, at least, not in any easily accessible way that I could find. They make claims about how clean their coffee is and imply all other coffees are filled with dangerous mycotoxins, which to quote this article from Gizmodo, “This is almost entirely bullshit.” It’s a good read.
As is this study, which determined that there were so few mycotoxins in commercially available coffee that no further study was needed.
Or this one mentioned by Gizmodo, which determined, “…that people who drank four cups of coffee a day (and this is any brand of coffee, regardless of price and quality) had only 2-percent of what is considered a safe level of mycotoxins.”
Bulletproof also claims that the blended drink has a lot of health benefits, including triggering the body's ability to burn fat and providing a longer, smoother caffeine high. Again, I can’t find any evidence this claim is true outside of the anecdotal marketing jargon they provide or seems to be offered by blogs with disclaimers that they received free products.
I’ll reiterate that I’m not a medical professional…though I do have just as many medical degrees as the founder of Bulletproof coffee.
FROM THE SHOW
This is that article from Daily Coffee News that breaks down some of the claims Bulletproof (the brand) makes about their coffee. If you don’t already, you should check out DCN every now and again. Lots of great coffee info there.
This graph shows the Rate of Rise chart from a recent roast at Coffee Cycle. Chris was pretty specific about using this one because it would make him look like a pretty good roaster.
The line you’re looking for is the teal blue one that spikes straight up on the left and then makes its way leisurely down to the left. That is the rate at which the coffee beans are increasing in temperature inside the roasting drum. The spike shows the first moments when the temperature is rising really fast. The decline shows that the temperature is still rising but at a slower pace.
Courtesy of Coffee Cycle Roasting
NOT FROM THE SHOW
Last year we shared the stories of Starbucks workers in New York unionizing. Two out of three stores were successful in their effort at the time, and have inspired a movement. According to Sprudge.com, 54 stores in 19 states are in the process of pushing for unionization.
I have some funky genetics when it comes to cholesterol so bulletproof coffee definitely isn’t for me. Coffee oils have been linked to increased cholesterol.
I’ve been making coffee in my stainless steel French press for years. It' is a style of coffee I really like, but in an effort to reduce the amount of coffee oil I ingest, I’ve been either making a V60 pour over or straining my French press coffee through a V60 filter.
I bought these from Steady State Roasting.
TODAY’S COFFEE VOCAB COURTESY OF MERRIAM-WEBSTER
Today’s vocab word refers back to something I said in the show about the founder of Bulletproof, Dave Asprey, being a self-proclaimed Biohacker. The definition below is courtesy of the Merriam-Webster dictionary online.
The term is also used fairly liberally by those attempting to hack their own body chemistry through diet and exercise as part of the process of trying to improve their life and lifespan.
bio·hack·ing | \ ˈbī-ō-ˌha-kiŋ \
Biohacking:* biological experimentation (as by gene editing or the use of drugs or implants) done to improve the qualities or capabilities of living organisms especially by individuals and groups working outside a traditional medical or scientific research environment
*I’ll be doing a segment on the impact of coffee on our brains in a future episode of the pod. Stay tuned.
ROAST! INDUSTRY PARTNERS
First Light Whiskey is sponsoring this music fest at Mammoth Mountain this weekend. A few tickets left. Get them here.
The R!WC Industry Partners are awesome. Click these links. Drink their coffees and whiskeys. Visit their cafes. Support local coffee shops. You won’t be disappointed.
Zumbar Coffee & Tea • First Light Coffee Whiskey • Leap Coffee • Steady State Roasting • CAFÉ LaTERRE • Mostra Coffee • Cape Horn Coffee Importers • Marea Coffee • Coffee Cycle • Camp Coffee Company • Ignite Coffee Company
LISTEN ON THESE PLATFORMS
APPLE PODCASTS • SPOTIFY • ANCHOR.FM • GOOGLE PODCASTS • AMAZON MUSIC • THE COAST NEWS • TUNEIN RADIO • I HEART RADIO • POCKETCASTS • BREAKER • RADIO PUBLIC • OVERCAST • YOUTUBE • STITCHER
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Roast! Coffee Smarter: Bulletproof