Best Keto MCT Oil: Our Top Pick for 2024

There’s been a lot of buzz around fats, but one, in particular, has received a fair bit of attention: MCT oil.

Medium-chain triglycerides, shortened to MCTs, are a type of saturated fatty acid that has been linked to all sorts of essential health benefits—better cognitive function, weight loss, improved athletic performance, and the list goes on.

But with a Western diet loaded with refined carbs and sugar, where are the medium-chain triglycerides coming from?

They’re fats missing from most people’s diets—unless you follow a ketogenic diet—because we’ve believed that saturated fat is bad—but it’s time that changes. Current research shows plenty of benefits to consuming good-quality saturated fats, so we’re digging into the research.

This article covers everything you need to know about MCTs and medium-chain triglyceride oil (MCT oil)—what it is, how it compares to other fats, the benefits of consuming it, and how much to take.

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How Does MCT Oil Differ From Other Fats?

While MCT oil is derived from coconut oil, it possesses different properties that make it more beneficial for specific health parameters. And compared to other fats like olive or vegetable oils, a long-chain fatty acid, MCT is in a class of its own.

In general, there are three types of fatty acids we’ll come across ^{1, 2}:

• Short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs): Composed of 1-5 carbons and are produced in the gut and consumed through food, and contribute to gut health. They play a significant role in fuelling colonocytes (cells in the colon).
• Medium-chain fatty acids/triglycerides (MCTs): Composed of 6-12 carbons and are absorbed through the intestinal lining and transported to the liver intact. They are used preferentially by hepatic mitochondria for energy production.
• Long-chain fatty acids (LCFAs): Composed of 13-21 carbons and are found in food sources like fatty food and oils. They are preferentially metabolized in the intestine, where they must be incorporated into chylomicrons before they can be metabolized or stored.

We gravitate towards MCT oil over coconut oil because it’s metabolized differently than other fats.

MCTs are rarely stored in adipose tissue and are absorbed in the gut intact and travel to the liver, where they are used as an immediate energy source. If you’re following a ketogenic diet, MCTs are great for boosting ketone production, which is a high-energy substrate.

Essentially, MCTs function much like carbs do—they provide a rapid energy source for the body but forego the nasty blood sugar fluctuations that come along with simple carbohydrates.

Because of these unique properties, MCTs have hopped onto the radar of anyone looking to optimize performance—mental and physical.

Benefits Of Taking MCT Oil

There is no shortage of benefits linked to MCT oil.

There's something for you, whether you’re looking to lose weight and improve blood sugar regulation or more energy and better athletic performance. And if you're on a ketogenic diet, it's a staple fat you won't want to exclude.

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Increases energy expenditure

There’s an idea in the health community that coconut oil is superior to other oils for fat burning—and there’s some truth behind it.

While ingesting coconut oil isn’t going to rev your metabolism to any great extent, it can increase caloric expenditure through diet-induced thermogenesis—the natural generation of heat due to the consumption of specific foods.

Compared to olive oil, 20 grams of MCT oil daily can help overweight people lose weight and burn fat ³. Other studies find that MCT can increase two hormones that help to regulate appetite and promote feelings of fullness, which could help in losing weight: peptide YY and leptin ⁴.

But be mindful that MCT oil isn’t calorie-free, so loading up on it in hopes of shedding a few extra calories could backfire if you’re consuming more calories than you’re burning.

Increased energy levels

If you’re looking for a power-packed food for energy production, MCT is where it’s at—and if you can’t afford a carb splurge, it’s an even better option.

As we mentioned before, MCT oil is metabolized differently than other fats, which means it’s a much better substrate for energy production. MCTs are absorbed directly into circulation and sent to the liver, where they’re oxidized for an immediate source of energy ⁵.

Compared to long-chain triglycerides like those found in olive oil, MCTs skip the lengthy incorporation process into chylomicrons and the lymphatic system, making them much more efficient for rapid energy ⁶.

Regulates appetite

Looking for weight loss or better appetite regulation and to consume fewer calories? Add MCT oil into the mix—it could be beneficial for promoting weight loss and reducing body fat.

It’s said that MCTs may help to regulate gut hormones, but their ability to control appetite may be more from its thermogenic and satiety properties rather than hormone mediation—which, combined, can help support weight management.

On top of that, its effect on insulin and glucose function can also benefit appetite and weight loss. A 1992 study found that 10 diabetics injected with insulin needed 30% less sugar to regulate blood sugar levels when consuming MCT oil compared to olive oil ⁷.

May improve exercise performance

If you thought your pre-workout was the way to boost your workout performance, try MCT.

While it may not be entirely effective for increasing strength and power, endurance athletes may benefit. Increasing lactate levels impedes performance and accelerates fatigue, but studies show that MCT oil may reduce lactic acid buildup.

An older study found that athletes consuming 6 grams—about 1.5 teaspoons—of MCT before cycling had lower lactate levels and lower fatigue perceptions than cyclists who took LCTs ⁸. They also found that taking MCT oil before training altered substrate utilization from carbs to fat during exercise.

But while MCTs may be associated with some positive outcomes for exercise performance, the results are still too mixed to confirm.

Supports brain function

There’s a fair bit of research showing the positive benefits of MCT oil on various brain conditions, including epilepsy, Alzheimer’s, and autism.

However, more research is still needed to confirm the benefits. Here's what we know:

• Epilepsy: The ketogenic diet was introduced as a possible therapeutic approach to reduce seizures in people with epilepsy. Because a high-fat diet increases the production of ketones, it can help to reduce the frequency of seizures ⁹. But because MCTs are so readily converted to ketones, they may have a positive effect on managing epilepsy. One in-vitro study even found that capric acid (C10) was more beneficial for controlling seizures than a common anti-epileptic drug, which may be due to its ability to block receptors in the brain that trigger seizures ^{10, 11}.
• Alzheimer’s: Alzheimer’s is a cognitive disease that impairs your brain’s ability to use glucose ¹². Because a ketogenic diet, including MCT oil, provides an alternative energy source besides glucose—ketones—it could benefit the health of neurons. Just one dose of MCT oil can improve short-term cognition in people with Alzheimer’s, but typically you’re looking at daily doses of 20-70g for modest improvements in symptoms ^{12, 13}.

Protects heart health

While fat has always been touted for being the worst of the worst when it comes to cardiovascular health, evidence suggests otherwise.

A 2010 study published in the Journal of Nutraceuticals and Functional Foods found that consuming MCT oil can help protect against the development of metabolic syndrome—a cluster of symptoms and conditions that are risk factors for cardiovascular disease.

They include abdominal obesity, dyslipidemia, impaired fasting glucose levels, and hypertension¹⁴.

Another study found that MCTs may offer more protection for cardiovascular health than long-chain fatty acids by helping to improve lipid profile and reducing total cholesterol levels¹⁵.

Although the exact mechanism of how MCTs benefit cardiovascular health isn’t apparent, their potent anti-inflammatory and anti-obesity effects likely mediate it.

How Much MCT Oil Should You Take?

Considering medium-chain triglycerides are naturally found in certain foods, most people can tolerate them. If side effects occur, they’re generally mild and temporary and include nausea, diarrhea, vomiting, abdominal cramping, or stomach upset.

But because high doses of MCT can have a laxative effect and cause digestive upset, it’s best to start with a small dose and work your way up to the desired amount.

Start with one teaspoon and gradually work up to 1-2 tablespoons per day. If you’re experiencing digestive issues, consume MCT oil with food.