All You Need to Know about MCT’s
Given the number of questions I’ve had about medium chain triglycerides lately, I figured it was time to throw it all down. MCT’s have numerous health benefits. Now that people are no longer scared of saturated fats the benefits we can talk freely. MCT’s are getting a lot of attention for weight loss. The evidence confirms no adverse metabolic effects. Even when compared with olive oil, MCT’s are safe and effective in terms of cholesterol, glucose and blood pressure markers.
Why MCT’s Work for Weight Loss
Research shows that MCT’s increase satiety or the feeling of being full and satisfied. There is also evidence that it can even increase your metabolism. They are go directly to the liver where they have some thermogenic properties. Instead of being stored as fat they get used as energy. Even without being very low carb, your body can benefit from the ketones produced through thermogenesis.
Metabolic Syndrome
Metabolic ‘syndrome’ is a group of symptoms including hypertension, impaired fasting glucose and dyslipidemia. Syndrome diagnosis is not excellent for finding the underlying cause but you get the point. MCT’s are used to prevent and treat metabolic disorders that can lead to diabetes, cardiovascular issues and early death. The thing is, when we treat the gut many of these markers come into range. With the corona virus it’s clear that these preexisting conditions put people at higher risk of adverse outcomes.
Gut & Immune Health
Let’s break it down. Most MCT you buy will be C8 (caprylic acid) and C10 (capric acid) which is what you want. These have anti-viral, anti-bacterial and anti-fungal properties which promotes good bacteria by helping reduce pathogens. Adding MCT’s to milk inactivates respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1), haemophilus influenzae and streptococcus. Other pathogens that it has a limiting action on include:
1. straphylococcus: the cause of many urinary tract infections and food poisoning events
2. streptococcus: the cause of strep throat and pneumonia
3. neisseria: the cause of meningitis, gonorrhea and pelvic inflammatory diseases
Brain Fog? Low Energy?
Our brain’s are made up of fatty acids. MCT’s are one of the most easily accessible forms. They are also protect memory. If you want to be clear headed and energetic by increasing your uptake of essential nutrients. If you are looking to enhance athletic performance MCT’s are it in a form that has many other benefits without negative side-effects.
As with anything start low and slow. MCT’s can be found in coconut oil, butter or palm oil but they are more concentrated when you buy them separately. Quality is important with all oils so stick to organic or grass-fed if possible.
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