Introducing Silverback Tea aka Bulletproof Tea

What is bulletproof tea?

Although the term ‘bulletproof’ was originally quoined by Dave Asprey in reference to his lifestyle and, more popularly, his fat filled coffee, it’s also a concept that can be applied to make a delicious bulletproof tea.

The Original Bulletproof

Bulletproof coffee is a method that you’ve probably heard mentioned once or twice before. All those weirdos putting butter in their coffee? That’s bulletproof!

Bulletproof is a technique of blending coffee with healthy fats: grass-fed butter and MCT oil, and drinking it throughout the morning, either alone as part of an intermittent fast, or along with breakfast. A standard recipe includes:

• 2 cups of coffee/tea
• 1-2 TBSP grass-fed butter
• 1 TBSP MCT oil (or coconut oil)
• Other optional additions: vanilla, liquid stevia, cinnamon, nutmeg, turmeric…the list goes on

If you’re allergic to dairy, feel free to use ghee (clarified butter, which is free of casein and whey), coconut oil, or a high omega-3 unsalted vegan butter instead (most people find that salt doesn’t go with coffee very well).

Bulletproof Tea (aka Silverback Tea)

While traditionally made with coffee, the bulletproof formula works just as well with some teas! With our Wise Ape teas, we like to call this Silverback style tea. To make your tea Silverback style, just use the recipe above, but replace the 2 cups of coffee with your favorite tea.

Note: Some teas work better than other with the texture and flavors in the added fats, so experiment a bit.

One of the key reasons that people drink their morning brew this way is because it can help keep the body in a state of ketosis, in which your body uses fat (instead of sugars and carbs) as its primary fuel and produces ketones, which power the brain. The healthy fats can also help to satiate your appetite. This is why bulletproof tea and coffee are widely used during intermittent fasting or used for weight loss, but is also reported to boost cognition and reduce brain fog. So maybe it's time to start blending your morning cuppa with some healthy fats. 

Why Grass-Fed Butter is Important

If you do use butter it’s important to use grass-fed because it has a higher ratio of omega-3 to omega-6 fatty acids than grain-fed butters. This is more impactful on your biology than you might think.

Most of today's Western diets have a 15:1 ratio of omega-6:omega-3 fatty acids, when the ideal ratio is really more like 1:1. Studies have shown this dietary imbalance to be linked to cancer, cardiovascular, and auto-immune diseases.

This is why products heavy in omega-3s are all the rage today and why it's so important to pick up as many extra omega-3 fatty acids as possible!

Adaptogenic Tea + Fats

For a maximum punch, we recommend making your Silverback style brew with an adaptogenic tea like Chocolate Hustle, which is upgraded with adaptogenic herbs. These herbal brain-boosters will compliment the cognitive effects of the healthy fats in your Silverback style tea.

This adaptogenic tea blend is a particularly good match because several of its compounds, like bacopa and ashwagandha, are fat soluble, and become even more bioavailable when consumed with fat. Drinking your Chocolate Hustle with fat (all that grass fed butter and MCT oil) really helps you get the most bang for your buck when it comes to cognition and performance.

Chocolate Hustle also contains roasted yerba mate, which adds a moderate caffeine boost. The neat thing about drinking caffeine with fat, like in Silverback tea, is that it helps your body absorb it slow and evenly. This means that you’ll get more of a gentle wake-up call with all the same cognitive benefits.

Several of our customers have now replaced or alternated their daily coffee intake with our Chocolate Hustle adaptogenic tea blend. We know you'll love the results, come get your Hustle on today!

Sources

Asprey, Dave. Bulletproof Exec. <http://bulletproof.com>.

Bhattacharya, A, et al. Anti-oxidant effect of Withnia somnifera glycowithanolides in chronic footshock stress-induced perturbations of oxidative free radical scavenging enzymes and lipid peroxidation in rat frontal cortex and striatum. Journal of Ethnopharmacology, Jan 2001. 74;1, 1-6.

Daley, C., A. Abbott, P. Doyle, G. Nader, and S. Larson. A review of fatty acid profiles and antioxidant content in grass-fed and grain-fed beef. Nutrition Journal, Mar 2010. 9:10.

Lohidasan, S., A. Paradkar, and K. Mahadik. Nootropic activity of lipid-based extract of Bacopa monniera Linn. Compared with traditional preparation and extracts. Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmacology, Nov 2009. 61;11, 1537-1544.

Krikorian, R., M. Shidler, K. Dangelo, S. Couch, S. Benoit, D. Clegg. Dietary ketosis enhances memory in mild cognitive impairment. Neurobiology of Aging, Feb 2012. 33:2, 425e17-425e19.