Can a certain diet increase your energy, slow down aging and optimize your brain performance? Dave Asprey believes exactly that - and has developed a revolutionary method with the Bulletproof Diet.
Who is Dave Asprey?
Dave Asprey is one of the most famous biohackers in the world. The American entrepreneur, author and podcaster is the founder of the Bulletproof brand and has made it his mission to take human performance to the next level. His name is inextricably linked to the concept of self-optimization - be it through nutrition, Fast, dietary supplements or most modern longevity technologies.
His journey began not as a health expert, but as a computer scientist in Silicon Valley. In his early 20s, despite his successful career, Asprey struggled with obesity, lack of energy and mental exhaustion. He invested hundreds of thousands of dollars in medical tests, scientific studies and innovative methods to understand the causes of his health problems - and above all, to solve them. The first step: a drink.
The Bulletproof Coffee: Origin of the Biohacking Routine
On a trip to Tibet, the American computer scientist Dave Asprey enjoyed a tea with typical yak butter and noticed that he felt much better physically and mentally. This experience was, in a way, the starting signal for a new life for the entrepreneur and author of several books.
After his return, he developed a coffee version of Tibetan butter tea. It is a black coffee with a few teaspoons of butter and coconut oil. He called his creation Bulletproof Coffee.
As if that wasn't enough, Asprey, who was overweight at the time, completely changed his diet and lost around 50 kilograms. His new eating routine also made him feel better mentally and emotionally than ever before. The Bulletproof Diet was born.
Bulletproof Coffee to Make Your Own
You can easily prepare the mixture of high-quality coffee, pasture butter and MCT oil yourself, although without the special “Bulletproof” coffee powder:
- First brew yourself a cup of coffee
- Put this in a blender
- Add 1-2 tablespoons of organic butter from pasture-fed cows
- Add 1-2 tablespoons of MCT oil or C8 oil
- And finally: mix
MCT oil and C8 oil: The turbo fats of the Bulletproof diet
A central element of the Bulletproof Diet is the targeted use of MCT oil (Medium Chain Triglycerides) - a special type of medium-chain fatty acids that are converted into energy particularly quickly. According to Dave Asprey, MCT oil plays a key role in putting the body into ketosis and increasing mental performance.
What is MCT oil and how does it work?
MCT oil is usually made from coconut oil or palm oil, but only contains medium-chain fatty acids, which the body metabolizes differently than conventional fats. While long-chain fatty acids must first be processed by the liver, MCTs go directly into the bloodstream and are available to the body more quickly as an energy source.
The benefits of the Bulletproof Diet:
- Promotes ketosis and increases fat burning
- Delivers fast, sustained energy without insulin spikes
- Supports mental clarity and concentration
- Stimulates thermogenesis (heat production) and can increase calorie consumption
What is C8 oil – and why is it preferred?
Not all MCTs are the same. MCT oil consists of a mixture of different medium-chain fatty acids:
- C6 (caproic acid): Fastest conversion to ketones, but often associated with stomach problems
- C8 (caprylic acid): The most effective MCT fatty acid for ketosis – is converted into energy particularly quickly
- C10 (capric acid): Acts slower than C8, but still useful
- C12 (lauric acid): Although it is abundant in coconut oil, it behaves more like a long-chain fat
C8 oil (pure caprylic acid oil) is considered the "premium version" of MCT oil because it delivers the fastest and most effective ketone power. Dave Asprey therefore prefers to recommend C8 oil because it causes fewer digestive problems than other MCTs and is converted to ketones almost immediately.
What does science say?
The research on MCT oil is promising, but not clear:
Positive studies:
- Ketosis & Energy: Studies show that MCTs – especially C8 – can increase ketone production, providing a quick source of energy for the brain and muscles.
- satiety & weight management: Initial studies suggest that MCT oil can prolong the feeling of satiety and slightly increase calorie consumption.
- mental performance: Some small studies suggest that MCTs improve cognitive function, especially in older people with neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's.
Open questions:
- long-term effects: While short-term studies show positive effects, it is not clear how regular consumption of large amounts of MCT oil affects metabolism, cholesterol levels or intestinal health in the long term.
- fat burning vs. fat gain: MCT oil can boost fat burning, but it also provides additional calories – whether this leads to long-term weight loss or rather to a calorie surplus varies from individual to individual.
What is the Bulletproof Diet?
The Bulletproof Diet is more than just a meal plan – it is a concept for self-optimization. Developed by Dave Asprey, this diet is based on the idea of putting the body into an energy-efficient state, inflammations while increasing mental performance.
The principle? Good fats, little Sugar, targeted carbohydrates and high-quality proteins. The Bulletproof Diet combines insights from the ketogenic diet, the Paleo approach and the biohackingto program the body to use fat as its primary energy source – instead of sugar.
Three important principles of the Bulletproof Diet
His “bulletproof” eating routine includes three essential principles.
Organic and unprocessed products
The products that end up on the plate are primarily organic and not elaborately processed. These include unprocessed whey products, butter from pasture-fed cows and milk that has not been homogenized or pasteurized.
Products with a high proportion of colorings or additives are therefore out of the question. It is also advantageous to heat certain foods only very slightly. This way, the important ingredients are retained.
- Healthy fats such as pasture butter, coconut oil, avocados and MCT oil
- Proteins from species-appropriate husbandry, including wild-caught fish, grass-fed beef and eggs from pasture-raised chickens
- Nutrient-rich vegetables, especially leafy greens and low-carbohydrate varieties
Conscious Nutrition
Another important point in Dave Asprey's routine is a conscious diet. In the spirit of a pronounced body autonomy, he pays close attention to what goes into his body.
Foods that promote inflammation should be avoided. According to Asprey, certain foods can destabilize blood sugar, which microbiome out of balance and even impair cognitive performance.
Therefore, the Bulletproof Diet recommends strictly avoiding these foods:
- sugar and refined carbohydrates
- Gluten-containing cereals and legumes
- Industrially processed vegetable oils (e.g. sunflower, rapeseed or soybean oil)
- Conventional dairy products (except butter from pasture-fed cows)
carbohydrates, fats and protein
Thirdly, the diet has a clear idea of essential ingredients such as fats, proteins and carbohydrates. For example, Asprey considers protein to be the cause of many diseases in the body, which is why it should only be consumed in modest amounts.
A central element of the Bulletproof Diet is cyclical ketosis. This means that on most days the body mainly uses fat as an energy source, but at certain times carbohydrates are deliberately consumed - but only in small amounts and preferably at dinner. The bacterial composition in the intestine (microbiome) is said to be particularly favorable at this time.
In addition, carbohydrates increase the production of serotonin, which subsequently produces the sleep hormone melatonin arises.
Overall, 50-70% of the calories burned should come from healthy fats, about 20% from protein and the rest from carbohydrates.
Last but not least, Asprey recommends intermittent fasting (16:8 method) to stimulate cell regeneration and insulin sensitivity to improve.
Cyclic ketosis - what is it?
Cyclic ketosis is a nutritional strategy that reaps the benefits of ketosis without permanently eliminating carbohydrates. It involves putting the body into a state of ketosis most days - that is, using fat instead of sugar as the primary energy source.
But in contrast to the classic ketogenic diet, targeted “carb refeeds” are planned, i.e. days or meals on which healthy carbohydrates are consciously consumed.
The principle behind cyclic ketosis is simple:
- To ketogenic days (low-carb) – The body uses fat as its primary energy source and produces ketones, which boost fat burning and promote mental clarity.
- To refeed days (targeted carbohydrate intake in the evening) – Through the controlled intake of carbohydrates (e.g. sweet potatoes or quinoa), glycogen stores are replenished to maintain performance and support hormonal balance.
Why does this make sense? While a continuous ketogenic diet is difficult for many people to maintain, cyclical ketosis offers a more flexible alternative.
Cyclic ketosis can:
- The optimize fat burningwhile minimizing cravings
- The support hormone balance, especially the production of leptin and thyroid hormones
- The improve athletic performance, as muscle glycogen is regularly replenished
How to get started with Dave Asprey's Bulletproof Diet
The Bulletproof Diet is based on the idea of changing the metabolism so that fat is used as the primary energy source - a principle known from the ketogenic diet. While sugar provides energy quickly but causes cravings and energy fluctuations, the Bulletproof Diet is intended to keep blood sugar levels stable, promote fat burning and increase mental performance.
To get you started, here are practical instructions for a typical Bulletproof day.
The perfect bulletproof start to the day
In the morning, eat fats instead of carbohydrates! Asprey recommends either skipping breakfast or making it particularly high in fat. Bulletproof coffee is said to be a good breakfast substitute.
Why Bulletproof Coffee?
- Supplies the brain with high-quality fats for better concentration
- Provides long-lasting satiety without digestive stress
- Provides energy without causing insulin spikes
If you do want to eat breakfast, it should be high in fat and protein, such as scrambled eggs with avocado and butter.
Bulletproof lunch – what’s on the plate?
For the meals of the day, the Bulletproof Diet follows a traffic light principle:
Allowed (Bulletproof Foods)
- meat from pasture-raised animals & wild-caught fish
- Nutrient-rich vegetables (e.g. broccoli, spinach, cabbage)
- Healthy fats (pasture butter, coconut oil, olive oil, avocados)
- High-quality nuts (e.g. macadamia, pecans – no peanuts!)
In moderation (Neutral Foods)
- Certain dairy products (raw milk only & not homogenized)
- Vegetables with moderate starch content (e.g. carrots, pumpkin)
Avoid (Inflammatory foods)
- Sugar & refined carbohydrates
- Grains & legumes (e.g. wheat, oats, beans)
- Processed vegetable oils (rapeseed oil, sunflower oil, soybean oil)
Example of a bulletproof lunch: Steak with spinach and avocado – filling, provides high-quality fats and keeps blood sugar stable.
Dinner & targeted carbohydrates for better sleep
Although the Bulletproof Diet is predominantly low-carb, specific carbohydrates are allowed in the evening. The reason:
- They promote serotonin production and thus help improve sleep.
- They replenish glycogen stores without putting the metabolism out of ketosis.
Recommended carbohydrates for the evening:
- sweet potatoes
- White rice (in small quantities)
- pumpkin or carrots
Example of a bulletproof dinner: Wild salmon with oven-baked vegetables & some sweet potato – healthy fats, proteins and targeted carbohydrates for optimal regeneration.
Important Bulletproof Rules for Sustainable Success
- Healthy fats are your best friend – about 50-70% of your calories should come from fat.
- Keep proteins in moderation – Asprey recommends moderate amounts so as not to accelerate the aging process.
- Avoid sources of inflammation – especially sugar, grains and vegetable oils with high omega-6 content.
- Use intermittent fasting – a 16:8 fasting cycle is ideal (16 hours fasting, 8 hours eating).
Fasting & Supplements
However, the high-fat, low-carbohydrate and low-protein diet is just one of many components of Dave Asprey's longevity routine. This ranges from intermittent fasting protocols to the use of biohacking tricks to optimize regeneration to dozens of supplements.
All of these are important components on the way to his goal of reaching the 180-year mark.
The bestselling author supplements his nutritional routine with a veritable flood of supplements. Polyphenols, selected amino acids, electrolytes, fat-soluble vitamins and special oils are on his daily menu. His range includes:
Asprey, who describes himself as a biohacker and health enthusiast, says he has spent more than a million US dollars on his Longevity routine to date. This enormous sum is based on expensive interventions such as stem cell treatments, NAD infusions and regular red light therapies.
What does science say about the Bulletproof Diet?
A look at the current study situation shows that short-term effects of a high-fat diet such as the Bulletproof Diet are well documented. Small studies suggest that a ketogenic diet feeling of satiety prolonged, the weight loss accelerated and the blood sugar levels stabilized – especially compared to a classic low-fat diet.
The ketogenic diet is also being studied in the medical field, particularly in relation to epilepsy in children and possible effects on cancer cells. However, research here shows mixed results.
But what happens in the long term?
There are no reliable long-term studies to date. It is still unclear how a diet in which up to 70% of calories come from fat affects metabolism, heart health and hormone levels over the years. However, most experts are of the opinion that anyone who follows a ketogenic diet should not do so without thinking about it or doing so permanently.
Discipline is crucial
Another problem: The Bulletproof Diet only works if you implement it consistently.Even small amounts of carbohydrates can throw the body out of ketosis – and thus weaken the desired effects.
Anyone who chooses this diet needs not only discipline but also a clear understanding of their own body.
