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Everyone who has been exposed to a low-carb, ketogenic diet has surely heard of MCT oil. It is a healthy fat that has recently become popular and is often used to add to bulletproof coffee and meal replacements. It is also one of the components of coconut oil, and because it is structured and metabolized differently than regular long-bonded fats, it has health benefits such as rapid metabolism, easy utilization, thermogenesis, weight loss, cognitive enhancement, and can help our bodies get into a ketogenic state quickly, and is loved by fitness enthusiasts and ethnic groups alike.

What is MCT Oil?

To introduce MCT, we must start with the classification of fatty acids. Based on the number of carbon atoms, fatty acids are classified as short-chain fatty acids, medium-chain fatty acids (also known as MCT), and long-chain fatty acids.

• Short-chain fatty acids (SCFA): Containing 2-5 carbon atoms, they are absorbed particularly quickly due to their small structure but do not provide energy to the body. Most of these short-chain fatty acids are used as nutrients for our intestinal flora.
• Medium-chain fatty acids (MCT): containing 6-12 carbon atoms, they also provide energy to the body, but the advantage of MCT over long-chain fatty acids is that they can be rapidly metabolized by the liver into ketone bodies without going through the lymphatic system, providing energy to the body, a process that takes only 30 minutes. In addition to its ability to rapidly produce ketone bodies and supply energy, MCT has another feature: it is not readily stored as fat. In medical studies, MCT has been shown to help with weight loss, as well as strengthen the brain, fight fatigue, and improve insulin sensitivity.
• Long-chain fatty acids (LCT): Containing 13-22 carbon atoms, almost all the fats and oils we eat, including olive oil, lard, and other animal and vegetable fats, are long-chain fatty acids. Long-chain fatty acids provide energy to the body, but the rate of energy supply is relatively slow. After these fatty acids are hydrolyzed in the small intestine, they must be combined with proteins and phospholipids and packaged into celiac particles, which then enter the lymphatic system and are then dispersed to individual cells. The whole process takes more than 4 hours.

Types of MCT Oils

Most people think that all MCT oils are the same and contain the same amount; in fact, the main MCT fatty acid types are:

• Caproic acid (C6) – It is the shortest of the medium-chain fatty acids and converts to ketone bodies the fastest, but is rarely used in MCT oil formulations because it has a strong taste and can produce a burning sensation in the throat or internal organs after consumption and is likely to cause gastrointestinal discomfort.
• Caprylic Acid (C8) – Known for its antibacterial properties, it can improve intestinal flora and is considered to be more effective than lauric acid. It does not need to be broken down by the liver and can be converted directly into ATP (cellular energy).
• Caprylic acid (C10) – It is not as abundant in coconut oil as lauric acid, and when used as an MCT, it is not metabolized as quickly as caprylic acid. It is estimated that about 10% of the MCT in coconut oil is C10, and because it is more expensive to obtain, most high-quality MCT formulations are composed of C8 and C10, with some MCTs using a combination of C12 and C10 and a small amount of C8 to reduce the price of the product.
• Lauric acid (C12) – It is the most popular of the medium-chain triglycerides. Lauric acid is a major component of coconut oil, accounting for more than half of the MCTs in coconut oil. Lauric acid has antibacterial properties and other uses include: preserving foods and other nutritional supplements.

Benefits of MCT Oil

Accelerates Fat Loss

MCT is metabolized in a very short period, so it is less likely to accumulate fat and can help with weight loss. 2015 European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, published a randomized, double-blind trial. The results showed that the group that consumed MCT had much higher levels of the satiety hormone than the group that consumed LCT. Thus, consuming MCT not only reduces fat accumulation but also increases satiety, which leads to weight loss.

Protects Brain Health

In addition to weight-loss people, Silicon Valley and celebrity circles are also popular for “eating MCT oil”, especially bulletproof coffee which is rich in MCT oil. The New York Times, Fast Company, and Business Insider also reported on the explosion of Bulletproof Coffee and touted the “brain-awakening” effect of this coffee. This is because the MCT in Bulletproof Coffee is rapidly metabolized into ketone bodies, which in turn cross the blood-brain barrier and provide a continuous source of energy for the brain.

Improving Epilepsy in Children

For the past 100 years, the ketogenic diet has been used to treat childhood epilepsy because it promotes the production of ketone bodies and produces good results, even in cases of severe drug resistance. However, due to some side effects associated with the implementation of the traditional ketogenic diet, it has been gradually replaced by a modified version of the MCT oil (medium-chain fatty acid oil) diet (10% protein, 20% carbohydrate, 60% MCT oil and 10% long-chain fat).

Beneficial for Alzheimer’s Disease

In clinical practice, it has been found that some brain areas in Alzheimer’s patients show a decrease in metabolism, resulting in cells not being able to use glucose for energy and accelerating degeneration. On the other hand, MCT oil (medium chain fatty acid oil) may have a neuroprotective effect due to its ketogenic effect, and in addition, it is an alternative source of energy for brain cells.

While MCT oil has many benefits, it should also be consumed correctly. Many people are eager to enter ketosis quickly, and after taking large amounts of MCT oil, their bodies experience a range of side effects such as diarrhea, nausea, hot flashes, feeling bloated in the stomach, abnormal bowel movements, headaches, irritability, throat irritation, and fatigue.

Causes of Side Effects from MCT Oil

Excessive Absorption

When eating coconut, a variety of nutrients are abundant, most of which require enzymes to break down hydrogen bonds to simplify metabolism. When eating MCT oil, the 8- and 10-chain fatty acids can undergo immediate beta-oxidation and cells can break them down for energy without the help of the liver. Secondly, C8 (octanoic acid) is highly antimicrobial and it prevents exposure to various yeasts and bacteria which, when exposed to octanoic acid, undergo cleavage and spills over, resulting in an immune response and stimulating the development of the intestinal tract.

Glycerin is a Laxative

Glycerol-rich MCT oil also can promote excretion. It can draw water from the surrounding tissues into the colon, thereby softening the stool and increasing the peristalsis of the colon.

Safety Precautions (Contraindications To Use)

• Do not use in pregnant and lactating women (as the associated safety is unknown)
• Do not use if you have poor liver function (e.g. hepatitis, cirrhosis, as MCT oil is mostly metabolized by the liver, and excessive use may lead to abnormal liver function)

How to Avoid Diarrhea from MCT Use?

Start with a Small Dose

The best way to avoid stomach pain and bowel movements are to start slowly with a small dose. You can start with half a teaspoon and see how you feel after 45-60 minutes, then gradually increase the dose until you reach a maximum of 2 teaspoons per week. During this time, your body will produce new enzymes to help process the increased intake of medium-chain triglycerides while you check your body’s response to MCT oil and can find your body’s maximum tolerance to MCT oil.

Avoid Taking it on an Empty Stomach

Most MCT supplements recommend in their medical guidelines that MCT should be used with food, however, many people who share their stories of diarrhea episodes also mention that taking MCT oil on an empty stomach can make things worse.

Studies have found that the oil is better tolerated when taken with food. In one study, 31 men and women aged 19-50 with a body mass index between 27-33 completed a 16-week weight loss program. The study compared MCT oil and olive oil mixed in muffins separately, and in the end, the study found that the group taking 18-24 grams of MCT oil per day lost weight and had no adverse effects. And many people found that taking MCT with food reduced most of the adverse reactions.

Avoid MCT That Contains Too Much Lauric Acid

The cheapest MCT oils contain lauric acid, which has 12 carbons, and it is almost LCT (long-chain triglycerides) and cannot be digested as quickly by the liver as MCT. Caprylic acid (C8) and capric acid (C10) are the main reasons for the health benefits of MCT oil. Although coconut oil is the largest source of MCT, most of it is lauric acid and it is usually more expensive to produce pure MCT oil containing only C8 and C10 than pure MCT oil containing lauric acid.

Try MCT Powder

Some people who suffer from MCT indigestion tolerate powdered supplements better. Because MCT powder is processed through microencapsulation technology, MCT oil is encapsulated with other ingredients such as protein and fiber, and processed through a special process.

The advantages of MCT powder are that it is easy to dispense, portable, and dissolves quickly without a blender, whether it is coffee or hot tea, pour in a packet and stir to drink. However, due to the need to rely on other ingredients to encapsulate the oil, only about 70% of MCT powder is MCT oil, so to consume the same amount of MCT, the powder form is 42% (1/70%) more than the oil form.

Commonly marketed MCT powders use sugar syrup or maltodextrin as a material to cover the oil during the manufacturing process. These carbohydrate-containing MCT powders only show “medium chain triglyceride powder” on the ingredient list. This can allow you to unknowingly consume 30% of invisible carbohydrates and interrupt your ketogenic state. Therefore, if you are going to choose an MCT powder, be sure to carefully identify the ingredients used in the spray powder.

Don’t Forget to Replenish Your Electrolytes

Due to the side effects of MCT, you will lose a lot of water and electrolytes. Therefore, you should be careful to drink plenty of water and other fluids to replenish electrolytes and maintain electrolyte balance in your body, for example, light salt water, fresh coconut water, and lemon water are good choices.

Conclusion

Don’t take a lot of MCT for fast ketosis, but also see if your body needs that much. Finally, MCT oil should not be used for frying like coconut oil because it has a very low melting point and above a certain temperature (e.g. 320 degrees) it can be harmful to the body. Therefore, it is better to consume it directly with meals or use it in salads like olive oil.