Medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs) won’t dramatically impact your health, but consuming them can help reduce some cholesterol and blood sugar, give your brain energy, and support weight loss and exercise.
Interest in MCTs has grown rapidly over the last few years.
This is partly due to the widely publicized benefits of coconut oil, which is a rich source.
Many advocates boast that MCTs can aid weight loss.
In addition, MCT oil has become a popular supplement among athletes and bodybuilders.
This article explains everything you need to know about MCTs.
Medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs) are fats found in foods like coconut oil. They’re metabolized differently from the long-chain triglycerides (LCT) found in most other foods.
MCT oil is a supplement that contains a lot of these fats and is claimed to have many health benefits.
Triglyceride is simply the technical term for fat. Triglycerides have two main purposes. They’re either burned for energy or stored as body fat.
Triglycerides are named after their chemical structure, specifically the length of their fatty acid chains. All triglycerides consist of a glycerol molecule and three fatty acids. Most of the fat in your diet is made up of long-chain fatty acids.
Short vs. medium vs. long chain fatty acids
Types of fatty acids differ by the number of carbon atoms:
- Short-chain fatty acids contain fewer than six carbon atoms.
- Medium-chain fatty acids, depending on how they’re categorized, contain between 6 and 12 carbon atoms.
- Long-chain fatty acids contain more than 12 carbon atoms.
The following are the main medium-chain fatty acids:
- C6: caproic acid or hexanoic acid
- C8: caprylic acid or octanoic acid
- C10: capric acid or decanoic acid
- C12: lauric acid or dodecanoic acid
Some experts argue that C6, C8, and C10, which are referred to as the “Capra fatty acids,” more accurately reflect the definition of MCTs than C12 (lauric acid).
Many of the health effects described below do not apply to lauric acid.
Given the shorter chain length of MCTs, they may be rapidly broken down and absorbed into the body.
Unlike longer-chain fatty acids, MCTs may go straight to your liver, where they could be used as an instant energy source or turned into ketones. Ketones are substances produced when the liver breaks down large amounts of fat.
In contrast with regular fatty acids, ketones can cross from the blood to the brain. This provides an alternative energy source for the brain, which ordinarily uses glucose for fuel.
Please note: Ketones are only made in significant amounts when the body has a shortage of carbohydrates, for instance, if you’re on the keto diet. The brain always prefers to use glucose as fuel in place of ketones.
Because the calories in MCTs are more efficiently turned into energy and used by the body, some people believe they’re less likely to be stored as fat. However, while
There are two main ways to increase your intake of MCTs: through whole food sources or supplements like MCT oil.
Food sources
The following foods are the richest sources of medium-chain triglycerides, including lauric acid, and are listed along with their percentage composition of MCTs.
- coconut oil:
55%Trusted Source - palm kernel oil:
54%Trusted Source - whole milk:
9%Trusted Source - butter:
8%Trusted Source
Although the sources above are rich in MCTs, the composition varies. For example, coconut oil contains all four types of MCTs, plus a small amount of LCTs.
However, its MCTs consist of greater amounts of lauric acid (C12) and smaller amounts of the capra fatty acids (C6, C8, and C10). Coconut oil is about
Compared with coconut oil, dairy sources tend to have a higher proportion of capra fatty acids and a lower proportion of lauric acid.
In milk, capra fatty acids make up 4–12% of all fatty acids, and lauric acid (C12) makes up 3–5%.
MCT oil is a highly concentrated source of medium-chain triglycerides.
It’s human-made via a process called fractionation. This involves extracting and isolating the MCTs from coconut or palm kernel oil.
MCT oils generally contain either 100% caprylic acid (C8), 100% capric acid (C10), or a combination.
Caproic acid (C6) is not normally included due to its unpleasant taste and smell. Meanwhile, lauric acid (C12) is often missing or present in only small amounts.
Given that lauric acid is the main component in coconut oil, be careful of manufacturers who market MCT oils as “liquid coconut oil,” which is misleading.
Many people debate whether lauric acid reduces or enhances the quality of MCT oils.
Many advocates market MCT oil as better than coconut oil because caprylic acid (C8) and capric acid (C10) are thought to be more rapidly absorbed and processed for energy than lauric acid (C12).
The best source for you depends on your goals and desired intake of medium-chain triglycerides.
It’s not clear what dose is needed to obtain potential benefits. In studies, doses range from 5–70 grams (0.17–2.5 ounces) of MCT daily.
If you aim to achieve overall good health, cooking with coconut or palm kernel oil is probably sufficient.
However, for higher doses, you might want to consider MCT oil.
One of the good things about MCT oil is that it has virtually no taste or smell. It can be consumed from the jar or mixed into food or drinks.
Although research has turned up mixed results, some people believe MCTs may potentially aid weight loss in several ways, including:
- Lower energy density: MCTs provide around 10% fewer calories than LCTs, or 8.4 calories per gram for MCTs versus 9.2 calories per gram for LCTs, according to older research. However, note that most cooking oils contain both MCTs and LCTs, which may negate any calorie difference.
- Increase fullness: One 2015 study suggests that compared with LCTs, MCTs resulted in greater increases in peptide YY and leptin, two hormones that help reduce appetite and increase feelings of fullness.
- Fat storage: Given that MCTs are absorbed and digested
more rapidlyTrusted Source than LCTs, they may be used as energy first rather than stored as body fat. However, MCTs can also be stored as body fat if excess amounts are consumed.
However, remember that many of these studies have small sample sizes and don’t consider other factors, including physical activity and total calorie consumption.
Furthermore, while some studies have found that MCTs could aid weight loss, other studies have found
More recent, high quality studies are needed to determine how effective MCTs are for weight loss and what amounts need to be taken to reap benefits.
Some people believe MCTs may increase energy levels during high intensity exercise and serve as an alternative energy source, sparing glycogen stores. However, there isn’t much recent research to support a link between MCTs and exercise performance.
Several older human and animal studies suggest this may support endurance and benefit athletes on low carb diets.
- One
1995 animal studyTrusted Source found that mice fed a diet rich in medium-chain triglycerides did much better in swimming tests than mice fed a diet rich in LCTs. - Additionally, consuming food containing MCTs instead of LCTs for 2 weeks allowed recreational athletes to endure longer bouts of high intensity exercise in a
2009 studyTrusted Source . - A 2023 study suggests that regularly consuming MCT oils may improve cognitive performance before exercise and reduce cognitive decline following an intense bout of exercise.
Although the evidence seems positive, more recent, high quality studies are needed to confirm this benefit, and the overall link is weak.
Medium-chain triglycerides and MCT oil may be associated with several other health benefits.
Cholesterol
MCTs have been linked to lower cholesterol levels.
For example, one 2018 animal study found that administering MCTs to mice helped reduce cholesterol levels by increasing the excretion of bile acids.
Another
Improvements in cholesterol and antioxidant levels may lead to a reduced risk of heart disease in the long term.
However, it’s important to note that some newer research reports that MCT supplements had either no effects or even negative effects on cholesterol.
One older 2004 study in 14 healthy men reported that MCT supplements negatively affected cholesterol levels, increasing total cholesterol and LDL (bad) cholesterol, both risk factors of heart disease.
Furthermore, many common sources of MCTs, including coconut oil, are considered saturated fats.
Although studies show that higher saturated fat intake isn’t associated with an increased risk of heart disease, it may be tied to several heart disease risk factors, including
Therefore, more research is needed to understand the complex relationship between MCTs and cholesterol levels and their potential effects on heart health.
Diabetes
MCTs may help lower blood sugar levels. In one very small study, diets rich in MCTs increased insulin sensitivity in adults without diabetes.
Another small study from 2023 in healthy adults suggests that MCTs may increase insulin sensitivity and beta-hydroxybutyrate, which may help a person enter a temporary ketosis. The researchers found MCT was more effective when taken without food, but taking it with carbohydrates decreased the risk of stomach upset.
However, these studies were not conducted in people with diabetes.
The evidence supporting the use of medium-chain triglycerides to help manage diabetes is limited, and much of it is outdated. More recent research is needed to determine its full effects.
Brain function
People believe that MCTs may produce ketones, which act as an alternative energy source for the brain and can thus improve brain function in people following ketogenic diets (commonly accepted as a carb intake of less than 50 g/day).
Recently, there has been more interest in the use of MCTs to help treat or prevent brain disorders like Alzheimer’s disease and dementia.
One major 2014 study found that MCTs improved learning, memory, and brain processing in people with mild to moderate Alzheimer’s disease. However, this effect was only observed in people who didn’t have the APOE4 gene variant.
The evidence is limited to short studies with small sample sizes, so more research is needed.
Other medical conditions
Because MCTs are an easily absorbed and digested energy source, they’ve been used for years to treat malnutrition and disorders that hinder nutrient absorption.
Conditions that may benefit from medium-chain triglyceride supplements include:
- diarrhea
- steatorrhea (fat indigestion)
- liver disease
Patients undergoing bowel or stomach surgery may also benefit.
Although currently MCT oil doesn’t have a defined tolerable upper intake level (UL), a maximum daily dose of 4–7 tablespoons (60–100 mL) has been suggested.
While it’s also unclear what dose is needed to obtain potential health benefits, most studies have used 1 to 5 tablespoons (15–74 mL) daily or 0.5 gram (g) per kilogram (kg) of body weight.
There are currently no reported adverse interactions with medications or other serious side effects.
However, some minor side effects have been reported, including nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and an upset stomach.
These can be avoided by starting with small doses, such as 1 teaspoon (5 mL), and increasing intake slowly. Once tolerated, MCT oil can be taken by the tablespoon.
If you’re considering adding MCT oil to your daily routine, talk with a healthcare professional first. It’s also important to get regular blood lipid lab tests to help monitor your cholesterol levels.
Type 1 diabetes and MCTs
Some sources discourage people with type 1 diabetes from taking medium-chain triglycerides due to the accompanying production of ketones.
It’s thought that high levels of ketones in the blood may increase the risk of ketoacidosis, a very serious condition that can occur in people with type 1 diabetes.
However, the nutritional ketosis a low carb diet causes is completely different than diabetic ketoacidosis, a very serious condition that a lack of insulin causes.
In people with well-managed diabetes and healthy blood sugar levels, ketone levels remain within a safe range even during ketosis.
Limited recent studies explore the use of MCTs in those with type 1 diabetes. However, older 2009 research has observed no harmful effects.
Medium-chain triglycerides have many potential health benefits.
While they’re not a ticket to dramatic weight loss, they may provide a possible benefit. The same may be said for their role in endurance exercise.
For these reasons, adding MCT oil to your diet may be worth a try.
However, remember that food sources like coconut oil and grass-fed dairy provide additional benefits that supplements do not offer.
If you’re considering trying MCT oil, talk with a healthcare professional first. They can help you determine if they’re right for you.
