What is MCT oil and what do you use it for?

You may have seen people add MCT oil to their smoothies or mix it with coffee. Bullet proof coffee is the best example of this. But what exactly is MCT oil, what do you use it for and how does it work? We will answer that for you in this article. 

MCT oil is a quality fat that comes from coconuts. You can use it as an oil to make salad dressings, but it is also available in powder form as a dietary supplement. It offers several benefits such as a better energy balance, more brain power and you keep a feeling of satiety for a long time. Here you can read how it works, how to use it and how you can make it work optimally for you.

What is MCT Oil?

“MCT” is an abbreviation for medium-chain triglycerides. Triglycerides are the molecules that make up most fats. These occur naturally in coconut oil, palm oil, goat milk and breast milk.

Your body turns MCTs into molecules called ketones. Studies have shown that ketones help burn fat. They also reduce appetite and provide your brain with energy. Some MCT oil is extracted from palm oil. This has a negative impact on the environment due to deforestation and loss of wildlife habitat. For this reason Ekopura MCT oil made from pure and sustainable coconut oil extracted from coconuts.

If you're on a low-carb, high-fat diet, such as the ketogenic diet, supplementing your diet with MCT oil can help ensure you're getting enough fat to get into or stay in ketosis. Ketosis is the state in which your body burns fat, rather than carbohydrates, to generate fuel. The ketone-boosting effects of MCT oil also help you feel full for longer and maintain a good energy balance. In addition, it has other advantages that we will discuss below.

The benefits of MCT oil

MCT oil increases energy, stamina, metabolism, satiety and brain function. Especially when compared to normal coconut oil or other forms of healthy fats. MCTs are largely absent from the typical Western diet. Therefore, adding MCT oil to your daily routine can be a powerful way to reap the benefits of smart fats.

This is why MCT oil is so good for you:

Weight Management and Weight Loss

MCTs cause your body to burn fat regardless of the type of diet you follow. Your body does this by converting MCTs into alternative forms of energy called ketones, which increase your metabolism and burn the fat you already have.

And no, you don't have to follow the keto diet to benefit from the effects of MCT oil. People who follow the standard "Western diet" can still lose weight with MCT oil because of the positive effects it has on hunger hormones and the boost in metabolism. However, the weight loss will not be as significant as in someone who has a complete diet. ketogenic diet, which we will come back to in another article.

Suppresses Hunger

High-quality fats are satiating, so MCT oil helps you feel full for longer without having to think about a mid-morning snack. This is scientifically substantiated: MCTs increase ketones. Ketones suppress ghrelin (also known as the hunger hormone) and increase cholecystokinin (CCK), making you feel full.

More Brainpower

High quality MCT oil turns into ketones within minutes, giving your brain a quick jolt of energy and mental clarity. If a person's carbohydrate levels are low enough, MCT oil can be converted to ketones, which, unlike glucose, can cross the blood-brain barrier and be used as a fuel source for brain cells.

This means that if your body is low on energy reserves, your own metabolic system can quickly convert the MCT oil into a fuel that is immediately available to the brain. Some people describe this feeling as if "the lights in their brains are turning on".

Supports the Stomach

When the protective effect of the intestinal wall does not work as well as it should, toxins, bacteria and food particles can enter your bloodstream through the intestines. This poses an increased risk of serious diseases. Studies have shown that MCTs help make the digestive tract and gut more selective. This prevents unhealthy toxins and bacteria from entering the bloodstream.

Increases Stamina

One of the main benefits of MCT oil is that it quickly increases energy, combats fatigue and gives an extra boost. This makes it a great choice for athletes - especially high-endurance runners or cyclists - as it is a fast and efficient fuel source. It has also been shown to improve recovery in endurance athletes.

View Ekopura MCT Powder

How does MCT work in your body?

MCT oil is digested differently because it is absorbed directly into the liver from the gut, bypassing the physiology of storage as fat. That means your body breaks down MCTs faster than the long-chain triglycerides found in other fatty foods. Your liver converts MCTs into ketones — the fuel source your body produces when it burns fat for fuel.

What is the triglyceride chain and why is it so important?

What's better about 'MC' or 'medium chain' triglycerides compared to short chain (SCT) or long chain triglycerides (LCT) tailing the end of the fat molecule. The longer the chain, the longer it takes your body to convert the triglycerides into energy. That means the shorter the chain, the better, but only up to a point.

In a study of 17 overweight women, those given MCT oil supplements showed improved fat burning compared to those given LCTs. While these results may indicate a "the shorter, the better" rule for triglyceride chains when it comes to burning fat, there are some pretty big problems with SCTs.

First of all, they tend to smell quite foul, but the most worrying thing is that they can cause disastrous digestion. Depending on your sensitivity, even taking a small amount of concentrated SCTs can upset your stomach. Ekopura MCT oil powder is different. As long as you start with a small dose (1 teaspoon) and work your way up to a larger dose, you will get the benefits of MCT oil, without the side effects.

View Ekopura MCT Powder

MCT Oil vs. coconut oil

Coconut oil is great for cooking and baking, but if you want brain-boosting fat-burning ketones, MCT oil is better. That's because coconut oil contains different types of fats. Not all of these strains are equally effective for energy storage and fat loss.

You may have heard that coconut oil is a source of MCTs. The reality is that you are not getting enough of the really beneficial MCTs (C8 and C10) by eating coconut oil alone.

In summary: Yes, you can add coconut oil to your coffee, but it will not give you enough MCT. MCT oil gives you more of the beneficial MCTs that your body can use to boost your metabolism most efficiently.

Ekopura MCT Powder

Ekopura Vegan MCT Powder is completely vegetable and sustainably produced. No artificial additives, palm oil free and contains the perfect balance of C8/C10 MCT to reap all the benefits MCT Powder has to offer. 

We hope that through this blog you have a better understanding of what MCT oil is, what you use it for, what it is good for and how it works in your body. In our next article about MCT oil, we will discuss the usefulness of MCT oil as an addition to your coffee.

View Ekopura MCT Oil powder below.