What Are MCTs? The Top MCT Oil Health Benefits

If you are trying to avoid seed oils, chances are you’ve tried coconut oil. But what about MCT oil? Often confused for coconut oil, MCT oil is not actually just another name for coconut oil. Although they are closely related, MCT oil contains concentrated medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs), a type of fat that your body digests and absorbs differently than the long-chain fats found in many other dietary oils.

From supporting energy production and brain health to potentially promoting metabolic health and satiety, MCTs have become a popular functional fat for good reason. But what exactly are MCTs, and what does the research say about the potential health benefits of MCT oil? Let’s take a closer look.

What Is MCT Oil?

MCT stands for medium-chain triglycerides, which are a super-special type of fats (or more specifically, medium-chain fatty acids) that are six to 12 carbons in length. (1)

There are four main types of MCTs that are categorized by length:

• Capronic acid: 6 carbons (C6)
• Caprylic acid: 8 carbons (C8)
• Capric acid: 10 carbons (C10)
• Lauric acid: 12 carbons (C12)

Technically, lauric acid from a biology perspective, should actually be considered a long-chain triglyceride (LCT) not an MCT. Lauric acid is processed by your liver unlike MCTs that skip the longer pathway through the liver and are quickly converted into an energy source by our body. Think of lauric acid more like the really close cousin of the MCT family – always over at the house but not directly related.

MCT Oil In Your Diet

Is MCT oil the same as coconut oil? MCT oil is actually found in, but is not exclusive to, coconut oil. In the modern Western diet, MCT fats are largely excluded. They are a type of saturated fat that are very easy for your body to break down for fuel unlike LCT (long-chain triglyceride) fats. In fact, from the very beginning we all relied on fat in the form of breast milk for energy and brain development. Even if you weren’t breastfed, MCT oil derived from palm and coconut oil is added to formulas to mimic breast milk.

MCT oils can be found in two forms: natural and synthetic. Natural MCTs are found in coconut oil, dairy fats, and palm kernel oil as well as certain foods. Two of my favorite sources are coconut oil and grass-fed ghee (clarified butter).

These foods include the percentages of MCTs found in the total amount of fats in each food:

• Coconut oil: 15 percent
• Palm kernel oil: 7.9 percent
• Cheese: 7.3 percent
• Milk: 6.9 percent
• Butter: 6.8 percent
• Yogurt: 6.6 percent

MCT oil is a pure source of these bioavailable fats.

MCT Oil health benefits

There are many wide-ranging health benefits to MCTs. Here are a few of the most promising ones.

MCT Oil and Brain Health

Research has shown that MCT oil can improve memory and overall brain health of people without dementia. (2) It can even help people with mild to moderate Alzheimer’s disease, including those with the APOE4 gene that is linked to an increased risk factor for this condition. (3)

LISTEN: Biohacking The Brain, Beating Genetic Risk, Ketone Myths & The Power Of The 4th Macronutrient | Dr. Latt Mansor

MCT Oil and Ketosis

Including MCT oil in your diet is one way to become a metabolic fat burner, utilizing fat for energy in a state more commonly known as ketosis. (4) The secret to a healthy ketogenic diet is to cut carbs and increase the intake of healthy fats like MCT.

Since MCT oil is easily absorbed, it quickly provides an energy boost and increases ketones. (5) MCTs are so powerful they can help maintain and increase ketosis even when carb intake is higher. (6)

Coconut oil has also been shown to help sustain ketosis since it contains a specific MCT called lauric acid. (7)

MCT Oil and Immunity

Even though lauric acid is more metabolically similar to a long-chain fat and isn’t broken down as easily for energy, MCT can also work as a powerful antimicrobial by helping kill off pathogenic bacterial infections to promote gut health and a healthy microbiome balance. (8, 9)

MCT Oil and Weight Loss

In connection with their ability to improve ketosis, MCTs are superstars when it comes to facilitating weight loss and improving body composition. Let me count the ways MCT oils help promote a healthy weight:

• They help you feel fuller quicker so you need to eat less. (10)
• They increase your metabolic rate. (11)
• They decrease the conversion of excess carbohydrates to fats. (11)

After just a few weeks of using MCT oil, studies showed that people lost more weight around their waist and hips as well as more fat around their organs (visceral), when compared to people who consumed other types of healthy fats. (11)

MCT Oil and Your Kidneys

For patients with kidney issues, I often have them focus on oils and foods that are rich in MCTs. Medical literature has shown that MCTs found in coconut oil are ideal for people dealing with acute kidney failure. (12)

MCT Oil and Exercise

If you want to take your workout to the next level, look no further than MCT oil. Choosing dietary supplements with a blend of amino acids rich in leucine, vitamin D, and MCT oil can increase muscle strength. (13)  Additionally, research has shown that eating MCT-rich foods like coconut can increase a person’s ability to work out longer during high-intensity exercise. (14)

MCT Oil and Omega-3 Absorption

It’s well known that omega fats from sources like wild-caught fish are super important for our brain, cardiovascular, hormone, brain, immune, and skin health. Studies have shown that the effects of DHA and EPA omega fats were enhanced when they were combined with MCT oils. Take advantage of that fat synergy! (15)

SHOP: Healthy fats are the new black, so support optimal hormone and brain health with my curated blend of bioavailable omega-3s. Unlike other fish oils that can be hit or miss in terms of bioavailability, The Omega+ is formulated with MaxSimil® monoglyceride fish oil that has a three times greater EPA+DHA absorption rate than an equivalent dose of other leading fish oils.

MCT Oil and Blood Sugar

Diabetes has grown to epidemic proportions. There are many tools I use to help patients manage their blood sugar levels, but MCTs are definitely one of my favorites! MCTs have the ability to increase insulin sensitivity and in turn, reverse insulin resistance and improve overall diabetes risk factors. (16)

READ MORE: 10 Easy Ways To Maintain Healthy Blood Sugar Balance

MCT Oil and Your Liver

MCT fats in coconut can protect the liver and gastrointestinal system as well as reduce fatty liver disease by reducing toxin buildup in the liver. (17, 18)

MCT Oil and Cholesterol

Healthy cholesterol levels are essential for optimal health. When looking at these though, we need to take into consideration context and quality of lipid levels. MCTs can lower cardiometabolic risk factors and LDL/HDL ratios. (11)

Understanding fat and cholesterol

There have been many articles criticizing coconut oil, claiming that it is not healthy and never was. Most of these, including a popular USA Today article, referenced a statement (19) from the American Heart Association (AHA) saying saturated fats such as coconut oil increase heart attacks and strokes and should not be consumed.

But this is a poor conclusion to come to about coconut oil. There has never been a debate over the fact that coconut oil contains high amounts of saturated fat and can increase total cholesterol levels. (20) This isn’t new news.

The studies the AHA cite do not link eating more coconut oil to heart disease, they link it to increasing cholesterol numbers. And the reality is, total cholesterol is a poor predictor for assessing heart attack and stroke risk. Studies have found that there might be no association between high total cholesterol and heart attack and stroke risk. (21, 22)

It is very interesting that the AHA is still suggesting for us to switch from using saturated fats like coconut oil to polyunsaturated fats like corn and vegetable oil. One of the references the AHA cites is the Minnesota Coronary Experiment from 40 years ago. A recent reevaluation of the data, published in the British Medical Journal found that the study participants that swapped saturated fats for polyunsaturated corn oil had a 22% increased risk of death for every 30 points their cholesterol went down! (23)

Better predictors for heart attack and stroke risks are high inflammation markers like CRP and homocysteine, low HDL (“good” cholesterol), high triglycerides, and high small dense LDL protein carriers. The other LDL subtype are the large buoyant particles, the non-oxidized, non-inflamed LDL particles are protective just like HDL.

The truth is, only a small handful of studies in the AHA report deal with coconut oil specifically. The coconut oil studies that the AHA does cite show that it raises both HDL and LDL! Again I would reiterate, coconut oil tends to increase beneficial, large buoyant LDL not small dense LDL.

Researchers have found high-fat diets containing coconut raised HDL, lowering triglycerides and small LDL cholesterol particles. (24) Pacific Islanders who consumed a majority of their calories from coconut fat raised their total cholesterol mainly from their “good” HDL rising. (25) Another meta-analysis published in the British Medical Journal found no association between increased saturated fat intake and heart attack, stroke, and death risk. (26)

The context and quality of a total cholesterol panel is so much more important than looking at a total cholesterol above 200 and deeming it “bad”. It may be or may not be. Coconut oil seems to, according to the research, improve the quality while yes, increasing the quantity as well.

In reality, there is a growing amount of studies showing similar results that lowering dietary saturated fat and cholesterol did not decrease heart attacks.

The problem with saturated fats like coconut oil occurs when people eat them with refined grains (which turn into sugar) such as breads and pasta or sugary foods. This “mixed meal” combination amplifies the inflammation of sugar. So if you’re not going to eat vegetables and avoid carby junk foods, I suggest limiting your saturated fat intake.

How Much MCT Oil Should I Take?

One word of advice: Start off slowly. Too much can cause your stomach to cramp and lead to diarrhea. 1 teaspoon a day is a good starting point and you can work your way up to 2 to 3 tablespoons. MCT oil with more caproic acid, C6, can cause more digestive problems for people who tend to have gastrointestinal issues. However, this short MCT is the best when it comes to energy bioavailability.

The short C8 carbon is more easily broken down which makes it ideal for brain fuel for those looking to optimize brain health and cognition. You can find MCT oil that is higher in caprylic acid, C8, or even exclusively caprylic acid. It also helps to fight off infections so it’s a win-win!

I always emphasize the importance of getting your nutrients in through food as much as possible, so make sure to include more coconuts and other MCT containing foods into your diet. Depending on the quality of MCT coconut oil that you are purchasing it roughly consists of:

• Caprylic acid (C8): 6 percent of coconut oil
• Capric acid (C10): 9 percent of coconut oil
• Lauric acid (C12): 50-plus percent of coconut oil

Easily incorporate MCT oil into your diet by mixing it into:

• Salad dressings
• Smoothies
• Mayonnaise
• Bone broth
• Soups
• Tea
• Coffee (try making a Bulletproof Coffee)
• Water
• Baked goods (if they are cooked under 300 degrees F)

So which is better, MCT oil or coconut oil? I suggest only using coconut oil in its whole-food form to fry food with and not MCT oil.

As one of the first functional medicine telehealth clinics in the world, we provide webcam health consultations for people around the globe. 

Photo: Unsplash.com

Sources

• Marten, B., Pfeuffer, M., & Schrezenmeir, J. (2006). Medium-chain triglycerides. International Dairy Journal, 16(11), 1374–1382. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.idairyj.2006.06.015
• Giannos, P., Prokopidis, K., Lidoriki, I., Triantafyllidis, K. K., Kechagias, K. S., Celoch, K., Candow, D. G., Ostojic, S. M., & Forbes, S. C. (2022). Medium-chain triglycerides may improve memory in non-demented older adults: a systematic review of randomized controlled trials. BMC geriatrics, 22(1), 817. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12877-022-03521-6
• Sharma, A., Bemis, M., & Desilets, A. R. (2014). Role of Medium Chain Triglycerides (Axona®) in the Treatment of Mild to Moderate Alzheimer’s Disease. American journal of Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias, 29(5), 409–414. https://doi.org/10.1177/1533317513518650
• Rebello, C. J., Keller, J. N., Liu, A. G., Johnson, W. D., & Greenway, F. L. (2015). Pilot feasibility and safety study examining the effect of medium chain triglyceride supplementation in subjects with mild cognitive impairment: A randomized controlled trial. BBA clinical, 3, 123–125. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bbacli.2015.01.001
• Fernando, W. M., Martins, I. J., Goozee, K. G., Brennan, C. S., Jayasena, V., & Martins, R. N. (2015). The role of dietary coconut for the prevention and treatment of Alzheimer’s disease: potential mechanisms of action. The British journal of nutrition, 114(1), 1–14. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0007114515001452
• Liu, Y. M., & Wang, H. S. (2013). Medium-chain triglyceride ketogenic diet, an effective treatment for drug-resistant epilepsy and a comparison with other ketogenic diets. Biomedical journal, 36(1), 9–15. https://doi.org/10.4103/2319-4170.107154
• McCarty, M. F., & DiNicolantonio, J. J. (2016). Lauric acid-rich medium-chain triglycerides can substitute for other oils in cooking applications and may have limited pathogenicity. Open heart, 3(2), e000467. https://doi.org/10.1136/openhrt-2016-000467
• Shilling, M., Matt, L., Rubin, E., Visitacion, M. P., Haller, N. A., Grey, S. F., & Woolverton, C. J. (2013). Antimicrobial effects of virgin coconut oil and its medium-chain fatty acids on Clostridium difficile. Journal of medicinal food, 16(12), 1079–1085. https://doi.org/10.1089/jmf.2012.0303
• Kabara, J. J., Swieczkowski, D. M., Conley, A. J., & Truant, J. P. (1972). Fatty acids and derivatives as antimicrobial agents. Antimicrobial agents and chemotherapy, 2(1), 23–28. https://doi.org/10.1128/AAC.2.1.23
• St-Onge, M. P., Mayrsohn, B., O’Keeffe, M., Kissileff, H. R., Choudhury, A. R., & Laferrère, B. (2014). Impact of medium and long chain triglycerides consumption on appetite and food intake in overweight men. European journal of clinical nutrition, 68(10), 1134–1140. https://doi.org/10.1038/ejcn.2014.145
• Rial, S. A., Karelis, A. D., Bergeron, K. F., & Mounier, C. (2016). Gut Microbiota and Metabolic Health: The Potential Beneficial Effects of a Medium Chain Triglyceride Diet in Obese Individuals. Nutrients, 8(5), 281. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu8050281
• Wu Yiting, #6559 THE ROLE OF MEDIUM-CHAIN FATTY ACIDS IN RENAL METABOLISM AND DISEASES, Nephrology Dialysis Transplantation, Volume 38, Issue Supplement_1, June 2023, gfad063d_6559, https://doi.org/10.1093/ndt/gfad063d_6559
• Abe, S., Ezaki, O., & Suzuki, M. (2016). Medium-Chain Triglycerides in Combination with Leucine and Vitamin D Increase Muscle Strength and Function in Frail Elderly Adults in a Randomized Controlled Trial. The Journal of nutrition, 146(5), 1017–1026. https://doi.org/10.3945/jn.115.228965
• Nosaka, N., Suzuki, Y., Nagatoishi, A., Kasai, M., Wu, J., & Taguchi, M. (2009). Effect of ingestion of medium-chain triacylglycerols on moderate- and high-intensity exercise in recreational athletes. Journal of nutritional science and vitaminology, 55(2), 120–125. https://doi.org/10.3177/jnsv.55.120
• Kondreddy, V. K., Anikisetty, M., & Naidu, K. A. (2016). Medium-chain triglycerides and monounsaturated fatty acids potentiate the beneficial effects of fish oil on selected cardiovascular risk factors in rats. The Journal of nutritional biochemistry, 28, 91–102. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jnutbio.2015.10.005
• Thomas, D. D., Stockman, M. C., Yu, L., Meshulam, T., McCarthy, A. C., Ionson, A., Burritt, N., Deeney, J., Cabral, H., Corkey, B., Istfan, N., & Apovian, C. M. (2019). Effects of medium chain triglycerides supplementation on insulin sensitivity and beta cell function: A feasibility study. PloS one, 14(12), e0226200. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0226200
• Ronis, M. J., Korourian, S., Zipperman, M., Hakkak, R., & Badger, T. M. (2004). Dietary saturated fat reduces alcoholic hepatotoxicity in rats by altering fatty acid metabolism and membrane composition. The Journal of nutrition, 134(4), 904–912. https://doi.org/10.1093/jn/134.4.904
• Mourad, S., Abdualkader, A. M., Li, X., Jani, S., Ceddia, R. B., & Al Batran, R. (2024). A high-fat diet supplemented with medium-chain triglycerides ameliorates hepatic steatosis by reducing ceramide and diacylglycerol accumulation in mice. Experimental physiology, 109(3), 350–364. https://doi.org/10.1113/EP091545
• Sacks, F. M., Lichtenstein, A. H., Wu, J. H. Y., Appel, L. J., Creager, M. A., Kris-Etherton, P. M., Miller, M., Rimm, E. B., Rudel, L. L., Robinson, J. G., Stone, N. J., & Van Horn, L. V. (2017). Dietary fats and cardiovascular disease: A presidential advisory from the American Heart Association. Circulation, 136(3), e1–e23. https://doi.org/10.1161/CIR.0000000000000510
• Dildy T. (2015). Evidence for and against dietary recommendations to prevent cardiovascular disease. Texas Heart Institute journal, 42(3), 234–236. https://doi.org/10.14503/THIJ-15-5072
• Schilling, S., Tzourio, C., Dufouil, C., Zhu, Y., Berr, C., Alpérovitch, A., Crivello, F., Mazoyer, B., & Debette, S. (2014). Plasma lipids and cerebral small vessel disease. Neurology, 83(20), 1844–1852. https://doi.org/10.1212/WNL.0000000000000980
• Schatz, I. J., Masaki, K., Yano, K., Chen, R. K., Rodriguez, B. L., & Curb, J. D. (2001). Cholesterol and all-cause mortality in elderly people from the Honolulu Heart Program: A cohort study. The Lancet, 358(9279), 351–355. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(01)05532-2
• Ramsden C E, Zamora D, Majchrzak-Hong S, Faurot K R, Broste S K, Frantz R P et al. Re-evaluation of the traditional diet-heart hypothesis: analysis of recovered data from Minnesota Coronary Experiment (1968-73) BMJ 2016; 353 :i1246 doi:10.1136/bmj.i1246
• Feranil, A. B., Duazo, P. L., Kuzawa, C. W., & Adair, L. S. (2011). Coconut oil is associated with a beneficial lipid profile in pre-menopausal women in the Philippines. Asia Pacific journal of clinical nutrition, 20(2), 190–195.
• Cox, C., Sutherland, W., Mann, J., de Jong, S., Chisholm, A., & Skeaff, M. (1998). Effects of dietary coconut oil, butter and safflower oil on plasma lipids, lipoproteins and lathosterol levels. European journal of clinical nutrition, 52(9), 650–654. https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.ejcn.1600621
• de Souza R J, Mente A, Maroleanu A, Cozma A I, Ha V, Kishibe T et al. Intake of saturated and trans unsaturated fatty acids and risk of all cause mortality, cardiovascular disease, and type 2 diabetes: systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies BMJ 2015; 351 :h3978 doi:10.1136/bmj.h3978