Overview
Every morning, Avigdor Miriam, co-founder of a health and wellness digital marketing agency, starts his day like many of us: with a cup of coffee. But Avigdor adds a twist to his routine — he includes one teaspoon of MCT oil in his drink. According to Linda Miriam, Avigdor’s wife and business partner, this addition gives him laser-beam focus and boosts his creativity, helping him tackle his work tasks efficiently.
Before discovering MCT oil, Avigdor relied on medication to help him focus, but it came with unwanted side effects like headaches. Everything changed when he and Linda found MCT oil. Now, they have the energy and focus to run their business and feel their best.
Sounds great, right? But what exactly is MCT oil, and how does it work?
What Is MCT Oil?
MCTs, or medium-chain triglycerides, are a unique type of dietary fat. Unlike the long-chain triglycerides (LCTs) found in most fats in the standard American diet, MCTs are more easily absorbed and digested due to their shorter chain length.
Historically, MCTs were only available from natural sources like coconuts, palm oil, goat milk, and breast milk. Today, you can buy MCT oil as a dietary supplement, usually derived from coconuts. It’s best to avoid palm-derived MCT oil due to the environmental damage caused by palm plantations.
MCT oil is produced by fractionating the oil from its source to remove longer-chain fatty acids, leaving only the medium-chain ones. Some coconut-based MCT oils even remove lauric acid, which is on the cusp between medium and long-chain fatty acids.
Available in oil, powder, and capsule forms, MCT oil offers numerous health benefits, including improved memory and focus, increased energy, and better blood sugar control.
Is MCT Oil Good for You?
Experts say yes. Julie Michelson, a functional medicine health coach, states, “MCT oil has many health benefits. It helps with energy production, brain function, memory, weight loss, and blood sugar control.”
MCT oil is gaining popularity for good reasons. Michelson adds, “It is an easy and helpful way to consume healthy fats,” supporting a low-carb, high-fat lifestyle, also known as the ketogenic diet. In essence, MCTs provide a quick energy source, boost fat-burning, and reduce appetite.
Top Health Benefits of MCT Oil
It’s easy to forget that oils and fats are essential for a healthy diet. MCT oil is packed with health benefits, including:
Boosts Weight Loss
Though it may seem counterintuitive, consuming fats like MCT oil can aid in weight loss. MCTs are easily digested and rarely stored as fat in the body. They may even suppress body fat accumulation, leading to lower body weight compared to those consuming long-chain triglycerides (LCTs). Additionally, MCTs help curb appetite and reduce food intake, making it easier to stick to a healthy diet.
Improves Gut Health
Your gut health impacts nearly every aspect of your physical and mental well-being. MCTs have antimicrobial properties that help maintain a healthy balance of bacteria in the GI tract, boosting levels of probiotics, or “good” bacteria. MCT oil also enhances the absorption of healthy fats, which can benefit individuals with gastrointestinal disorders.
May Improve Brain Health
Whether you want to sharpen your focus or protect your brain against age-related cognitive decline, MCT oil is an excellent choice. MCTs increase your body’s ketones, which are neuroprotective antioxidants beneficial to brain health. They can improve brain cell function and growth, protecting against cognitive decline and potentially enhancing mood.
Burns Fat & Increases Athletic Performance
Early evidence suggests that MCT supplementation can enhance athletic performance. MCTs have become popular among athletes for their ability to increase energy levels and endurance. Even recreational exercisers may experience improved endurance for moderate and high-intensity workouts after supplementing with MCT oil for two weeks.
Promotes Normal Cholesterol Levels
If you’re concerned about cholesterol and blood sugar levels, MCT oil may help maintain healthy levels of both. MCTs promote normal levels of LDL (“bad” cholesterol) and HDL (“good” cholesterol), improving heart health and preventing plaque build-up in the heart and arteries.
Supports Healthy Blood Sugar Balance
MCT oil can help stabilize blood sugar levels, promoting normal glucose tolerance and preventing post-lunch energy crashes. Stable blood sugar levels lead to steadier energy throughout the day, avoiding the highs and lows associated with sugar fluctuations.
How to Use MCT Oil
There are several ways to incorporate MCT oil into your daily routine, depending on your lifestyle and preferences. If you’re new to MCT oil, start with smaller amounts to allow your body to adjust.
Begin by adding MCT oil to your diet slowly. Even high-quality MCT oil can take some getting used to. Start with a half teaspoon or less in the morning for energy, gradually increasing the amount every few days up to a maximum of two tablespoons per day.
MCT oil supplements come in pure oil form, as well as powders and capsules. Most people prefer the oil form. You can add it to smoothies, salad dressings, or pre-workout shakes. It’s also popular to add MCT oil to coffee, often referred to as bulletproof coffee. Since MCT oil is nearly flavorless, it won’t alter the taste of your food and drinks.
Additionally, MCT oil is used as a solvent in fat-soluble supplements, increasing the bioavailability of fat-soluble cannabinoids in hemp, allowing more to reach the bloodstream.
Points to Remember
MCT oil offers a wide range of health benefits, including improved focus, weight loss, increased energy and endurance, balanced gut health, and better cholesterol and blood sugar levels. It’s a versatile and safe supplement to incorporate into your diet. However, newcomers to MCT oil may experience some gastrointestinal discomfort if they start with too much too soon.
You can add MCT oil to almost any food or beverage. It’s popular on the keto diet, with many people adding it to their morning coffee, tea, or smoothie to kickstart their day. Others prefer MCT powder or capsules.
When choosing an MCT oil supplement, look for organically sourced products made from coconuts (avoid palm oil). You may also find MCT in fat-soluble nutritional supplements, such as hemp extract or CBD.
