What Are MCTs? The Top MCT Oil Health Benefits

The world is all abuzz over a USA Today article (1) saying coconut oil is not healthy and never was. This article was referencing a statement (2) from the American Heart Association (AHA) saying saturated fats such as coconut oil increase heart attacks and strokes and should not be consumed.

There has never been a debate over the fact that coconut oil (3) contains high amounts of saturated fat and can increase total cholesterol levels. 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.

The reality is, total cholesterol is a poor predictor for assessing heart attack and stroke risk. Studies have found (4) that there might be no association (5) between high total cholesterol and heart attack and stroke risk.

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 (6) 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!

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 (7) high-fat diets containing coconut raised HDL, lowering triglycerides and small LDL cholesterol particles. Pacific Islanders who consumed (8) a majority of their calories from coconut fat raised their total cholesterol mainly from their “good” HDL rising. Another meta-analysis (9) published in the British Medical Journal found no association between increased saturated fat intake and heart attack, stroke, and death risk.

A randomized control trial (10) published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found a diet rich in fats, including a high percentage of calories from saturated fats, actually lowered cardio-metabolic risk factors: HDL came up, triglycerides came down, insulin sensitivity improved and blood sugar was lowered.

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.

Some of my favorite whole-food fats include olives, coconut, avocados, nuts, seeds, wild-caught fish, and grass-fed ghee. But my ultimate favorite fat-hack is MCT oil, which I use often in my functional medicine center. To learn more, check out my article on all of the health benefits and functions of MCT oil.

What is MCT oil?

What does MCT mean in coconut oil? Well, I am glad you asked! MCT stands for medium-chain triglycerides which are a super-special type of fats (or fatty acid) that are six to 12 carbons in length. (11)

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 MCT coconut oil and grass-fed ghee.

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 the pure source of these bioavailable fats.

Health Benefits: What is MCT oil good for?

MCT oil and your brain

Research has shown that MCT oil can improve (12) memory and overall brain health of people with brain problems like brain fog. It can even help people with mild to moderate Alzheimer’s disease, (13) including those with the APOE4 gene which is linked to an increased risk factor for this condition.

MCT oil and ketosis

Including MCT oil in your diet is one way to help become (14) a metabolic fat burner, or more commonly known as being in a state of ketosis. 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, (15) it quickly boosts energy (16) and increases ketones. (17) MCTs are so powerful they can help maintain and increase ketosis even when carb intake is higher. (18)

When it comes to MTC, Coconut oil has also been shown to help sustain ketosis since it contains a specific MCT called lauric acid. (19)

MCT oil and your immune system

Even though metabolically lauric acid is more similar to a long-chain fat and isn’t broken down as easily for energy, it has powerful antibacterial, antiviral, and antifungal (20) abilities. MCT can also work as a powerful antimicrobial by helping kill off pathogenic bacterial infections to promote a healthy microbiome balance. (21)

MCT oil and your weight

In connection with their ability to improve ketosis, MCTs are superstars when it comes to weight loss. Let me count the ways MCT oils help reduce weight:

• They help you feel fuller quicker so you need to eat less. (22)
• They increase your metabolic rate. (23)
• They decrease the conversion of excess carbohydrates to fats. (24)

After just a few weeks of using MCT oil, studies showed (25) 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.

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 (26) that MCTs found in coconut oil are ideal for people dealing with acute kidney failure.

MCT oil and exercise

If you want to take your workout to the next level, look no further than MCT oil. Supplementing with a blend of amino acids rich in leucine, vitamin D, and MCT oil can increase (27) muscle strength. Additionally, research has shown (28) that eating MCT-rich foods like coconut can increase a person’s ability to work out longer during high-intensity exercise.

MCT oil and omega 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 (29) that the effects of DHA and EPA omega fats were enhanced when they were combined with MCT oils. Take advantage of that fat synergy!

MCT oil and blood sugar

Diabetes has grown to epidemic proportions. There are many tools I use to help patients with blood sugar issues, but MCTs are definitely one of my favorites! MCTs have the ability to increase insulin (30) sensitivity and in turn, reverse insulin resistance and improve overall diabetes risk factors.

MCT and your liver

MCT fats in coconut can protect (31) the liver and gastrointestinal system as well as reduce fatty liver disease by reducing toxin buildup (32) in the liver.

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 (33) cardiometabolic risk factors and LDL/HDL ratios.

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 a day. MCT oil with more caprioic 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. 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
• 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.

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