Table of Contents
- MCT oil is a unique fatty acids that are considered as enhanced and condensed form of medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs)
- Medium-chain triglycerides is a particularly influential thing for our body as it makes ketosis easier and more effective.
- People who get the best out of MCT oil are professional athletes and fighters. It also helps reduce the risk of heart complications and diabetes development.
MCT Oil and Its Protagonist Triglycerides
MCT oil is a unique fatty acids that are considered as enhanced and condensed form of medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs). This oil becomes popular in keto diet because of its effectiveness in weight loss and energy boosting.
Before giving a dive into MCT oil pool, we would like to have a deep look on its protagonist – triglycerides. Because this triglyceride forms the core of MCT oil. Besides, in order to understand the ins and outs MCT oil, we have to apprehend how triglycerides, more specifically medium chain triglycerides (MCTs) behaves.
Read More: MCTs and how it works on our body
History of MCT Oil
People came to know about the dynamics and benefits of this fat at the later part of the 20th century, up until the early 80’s people consume MCTS from normal sources like butter. At an earlier stage of 1980, Dr. Vigen K. Babayan from Harvard University formulated a method that leads to mass production of MCTS.
The end product of what he discovered using that formula was called MCT oil. He primarily intended to use this oil for the treatment of some medical situations such as pancreatitis, fat malabsorption. However, it becomes famous in supplement industry, mainly focusing on weight loss and brain development.
Sources of MCT Oil
Richest possible sources of MCTs are used to make this oil. This oil is predominantly extracted from foods oil like coconut and palm oil. Coconut oil contains 60% MCTs. Palm oil does not lag behind in this front – possesses approx. 50% MCTs. A small amount of MCTs is stemmed from dairy products, responsible for around 8 – 10%. We get different composition of fatty acid from these afore-mentioned sources of MCTS, which include:
- Lauric Acid – C12
- Capric Acid – C10
- Caprylic Acid – C8
- Caproic Acid – C6
However, Most MCT oils are a mixture of capric acid and caprylic acid. Although it is not necessary to blend them, they can produced using totally either caprylic acid or capric acid. MCT oils that we usually find in the market made with following combination of MCTs:
- 40-20% capric acid
- 60-80% caprylic acid.
Quantity of Caprylic acid tend to dominate the majority of the MCT oils because it’s easier to absorb than Capric acid. During the course of MCT oil production, usually lauric acid (C12) and caproic acid (C6) are totally removed to make the quality high and more palatable.
Uses of MCT oil on keto
Use of MCT oil is widespread as it help lift our energy – both mentally and physically. Besides, it can help achieve the goal keto diet, which is getting into ketosis faster. MCT oil also works as a magic in curing keto flu.
MCT Oil Dosage: How Much MCT Oil
It is always better to start with a small amount, if we are new to MCT oil. It is recommended to begin with one teaspoon a day and gradually increase the amount as our body gets acclimatized with MCT oil.
Once our body learns the art of absorption process, then we can increase the dose to a tablespoon a day or according to our preference. A little amount of MCT oil can help us feel full for a long period of time. Besides, due to its tasteless and odorless nature, it can be used to almost any food and beverages.
MCT Oil Usage: How To Add MCT Oil In Your Diet
MCT oil is very adaptable and can be used to any regular meals and drinks. People mostly uses it in following forms:
- Salad dressing
- Smoothies
- Shakes
- As Cooking oil
- In other beverages.
Some common uses of MCT oil are given below:
Coffee
If we need a buzz on our head, meaning if we want our brain to work at its highest level, consumption of MCT oil is the right choice while on keto diet. If we need ultimate energy for our body and brain to launch the day, a bulletproof coffee mixed with MCT oil in the morning will certainly make sure that, as it will make sure of hale and hearty fat intake.
Smoothies
Adding 1 tbsps of MCT oil in our daily smoothie can keep our hungry feeling away and can provide us with the feeling of satisfied.
Shakes
It is not necessary that we would restrict our MCT oil intake only in the morning. MCT oil is considered as a great platform for energy during exercise, especially for professional athletes’. If we supplement our meal with a spoon of MCT oil before and after exercise, it will definitely help to improve workout session and also help recovers wasted energy.
Cooking Oil
Surprisingly, it can be used as cooking oil as well, as it is highly stable under heat like coconut oil but we will find missing the coconut flavor. However, one thing we have to keep in mind that MCT oil tends to burn over stipulated temperature. Therefore, MCT oil should not be heated to temperatures above 145-155°C. High temperatures breaks the properties of MCT oil down, hence it loses its characteristics.
Salad Dressing
MCT oil is used widely in salad dressing as it lacks any flavor.
Benefits of MCT oil Backed by Hard Science
As an enhancement, we often see use of MCT oil to shakes, coffee and salad toppings. As we already discussed, triglycerides are the main properties of MCT oil. Triglycerides are nothing but principally medium-length chains of fats. Besides, this smaller length fats easily absorbed in our body and provide us with many physical welfare.
So far, MCTs have been divided into four categories and each type has their own unique benefits. However, caprylic and capric acid are the most responsible fatty acids behind forming MCT oil.
We can enjoy following benefits using MCT oil to our food:
1. Stimulates Weight Loss
MCT oil may help us in many ways if our focus is to lose weight. It has been found that MCT oil help induce the discharge of two hormones, namely peptide YY and leptin, that help us feel satiated.
As far as satiating our appetite is concern, MCT Oil supersedes coconut oil. A study established that people tend to eat less for lunch if they consume 2 tablespoons of MCT oil with their morning meal. Whereas the same benefit is found missing with those who take coconut oil in the breakfast.
The same study also suggest that MCT oil helps prevent escalating in triglycerides and glucose, which may also stimulate the mood of satisfied. As we know, the key to effective weight loss is reining in our appetite.
Additionally, experiments show that regular intake of MCT oil plays an effective role in weight loss and keeps our body in good shape. Researchers even report that MCT oil can play a big part in thwarting obesity as meals with MCT oil increases thermogenesis after eating.
Surprisingly, MCT oil even contains 10% less calories than most keto friendly foods like avocados and nuts. The reason being these foods are rich in long-chain triglycerides (LCTs). Besides, the way our body handles MCT oil, may help in calories burning process.
When our body is in dire need of energy, MCT oil can fulfill that instantly, making fat storing for later energy redundant. Besides, MCTs suppressed the gathering of body fat in healthy men and women. However, it is worth note that our body may adapt to this dietary change, leading to only temporary results.
One of the main purposes of embracing keto diet is achieving ketosis state as it confers many health benefits. One big advantage of MCT oil is that it can be converted into ketones easily. As we know, ketones are produced by burning fat when carb intake is low. MCT oil can help accelerate that fat burning process known as ketosis when we strictly follow ketogenic diet – which is low in carbs and high in fat.
Our gut setting plays a big role in determining our body weight. MCTs are natural antibiotics and can eliminate certain types of harmful bacteria while keeping intact ‘good’ bacteria. This helps maintain a better gut environment, which could also help you lose weight.
2. Improves Cognitive Health
Many dietitians suggest for MCT oil intake specifically to boost our cognitive performance. MCTs work in a way that it primarily helps barring the brain from oxidative stress that causes age-related cognitive decline.
As we aware, composition of our brain mostly dominated by fatty acids. Therefore, when our body runs on MCT oil, we tend to feel more energized and think with more clarity.
Ketones has the ability to break the hurdle between blood and brain and carry the job of fuel for our vital nervous system. Hence, MCTs plays a big part in improving our cognitive health.
A study published in the journal Front Aging in Neuroscience found that people with weak memory displayed progress in remembrance after taking MCT oil as a supplement. As mentioned earlier, MCTs helps escalates ketone production in our blood.
Besides, another research found that MCT oil does help stabilize blood sugar level and that help reduce internal infection and expand cognitive health.
3. Decrease Risk Of Heart Disease
MCT oil not only offer usual antibiotics for immune system, but also has the potential to aid in foiling and curing diseases like heart disease and diabetes.
A study published in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition shows that MCT oil consumption for seven straight weeks bring about a noteworthy cut in blood triglyceride levels compared to LCT oil intake. Here it is worth note that triglyceride levels in blood considered as an indicator of heart disease. And the subject of that study was people having complications with hypertriglyceridemia. Besides, MCT oil plays a significant role in reducing C-reactive protein (CRP), an inflammatory pointer that increases the risk of heart disease.
Above findings was backed by another experiment issued in the Journal of Nutrition. That study shows that MCT oil intake help progress in whole lipid profiles in weighty men – precisely presenting increases in LDL element size. The big LDL are linked with declined heart risk.
Moreover, from the Journal of Metabolism, we get to know about a study that was conducted on bulky women. The study drew the conclusion that overall heart risk of those women got better after MCT oil intake. However, in that study pure MCT oil was not used, it was mixed with phytosterols and omega-3 fatty acids. Therefore, it is tough to draw the conclusion that which ingredient force this result – MCT oil itself or the blend of those oils.
4. Can Help Diabetes Management
It has learned from different studies that MCT oil can help manage the treatment of diabetes and deterrence of insulin resistance. Particularly, two high quality studies circulated in the Journal of Diabetes and the Journal of Metabolism showed that consumption of MCT oil help improve insulin sensitivity, which is a key component in diabetes deterrence and treatment. It is worth noting that the study was conducted on both diabetic and nondiabetic persons.
Besides, consumption of MCT oil can help us in a big way in lowering our blood glucose level. This blood glucose reduction process is coined as hypoglycemic. Effect of this process can help people having diabetes or who are dealing with pre-diabetes situation.
People who already suffer from Type 1 diabetes can get benefitted from MCT oil intake as it has been deemed as promising supplement. A study found that MCT oil intake can help avert deterioration in cognitive health in people with Type 1 diabetes, especially during hypoglycemia phase. The outcome was the most positive in remembering words that people hear from others.
5. More Energy During Exercise
Off late, MCT oil is in vogue among athletes as it has become a staple in the diets of both amateur and professional athletes. This is understandable due to the fact that MCTs are full of instant energy. Besides, our body can absorb it within a short period of time. And most importantly, it transforms into fresh and bearable energy very quickly.
Exercise performance can hamper due to rising lactate levels while workout. However, one study issued in the Journal of Nutritional Science revealed that MCT oil intake play a role in decreasing lactate build-up in our blood considerably and rate of perceived exertion (RPE) also. Amateur athletes enjoy this benefits most during moderate to high-intensity exercise.
Another research published in the Journal of Applied Physiology established that consumption of MCT oil helps professional athletes’ in enhancing performance noticeably during intense workout.
The study also explains as to how this is possible. It comes up with explanation that MCT oil help accelerate ketones production and make it available for instant use. Our body tends to use these molecules during medium level activities. In return, it allows our body to preserve stored sugar for the period of intense activities.
Ketones are used as an alternate fuel source in our body. When we exhaust ketone constantly, our body triggers a process which helps reduce lactate production as a by-product. All in all, MCT oil consumption before exercise will make things stress-free while at the same time enhancing the whole performance.
6. Help Manage Deadly Child’s Diseases
Studies – conducted on children – have found some positive result in dealing some critical conditions while they are feed on MCT oil along with keto diet. Conditions like Autism, Alzheimer’s disease, and Epilepsy get the best response out of this special diets.
Epilepsy
Although keto diet become famous among people desiring to lose weight, initially it was used to manage epilepsy in children. Studies showed that fasting help accelerate ketone creation and that this may help reduce the rate of epileptic seizures recurrence. They applied the same theory in handling epilepsy as MCT oil can be altered into ketones very quickly.
However, effectiveness of managing epilepsy depends on the MCT type. A test-tube experiment exhibited that MCT oil dominated with capric acid help progress seizure control. This same feat well-known anti-epileptic medication failed to match.
Alzheimer’s Disease
Our brains lose the ability to use sugar as an energy source when suffer from Alzheimer’s disease. While on keto diet, MCT oil can produce ketone as a substitute fuel source. Ketones helps live and thrive our brain in improved way. Besides, it also helps prevent memory damage by intercepting a receptor in our brain.
One study conducted on 19 people with Alzheimer’s disease establish that a small amount of MCTs improved cognitive health for a short span of time. Here, it is worth mentioning that subjects of the experiment possessed similar gene type and that gene is coined as APOE ɛ4-negative.
Quantity of MCT oil needed to cure Alzheimer’s disease may depend on genetic elements. However, study suggests that MCT oil can humbly recover the symptoms of Alzheimer’s. The amount of MCT oil that they provided to subjects was varied from 30–60 grams and that also comprised of caprylic or capric acid.
Autism
MCT oil can play a role in managing kids with autism.
A research conducted on autistic children providing them with MCT oil along with keto diet for 6 months at a stretch. The result showed an affirmative progresses in their conditions.
Another study also steered on children found that blend of MCT oil and ketogenic diet noticeably uplifted their behavioral pattern. 14 children were involved in that study and out of them at least 5 children showed positive progress in behavior. This implies that improvement in autistic child’s behavior due to MCT oil intake may help to varying degrees.
Conclusion
The beauty of the MCT oil is that it provides us with a lot of health benefits without any major side effect.
Fatty acids that it contains help decrease body fat, hence leads to weight loss. Besides, it gives us the sense of satiated and also helps maintain our gut setting.
People who get the best out of MCT oil are professional athletes and fighters. it also plays a role in keeping our bacterial growth in check. it also helps reduce the risk of heart complications and diabetes risk. More importantly, it uses to a great degree in curing conditions like autism epilepsy in children.
All in all, MCT oil extracts most benefits that MCTs presents before us.