What is MCT Oil?
First things first - what exactly is MCT oil? MCT stands for medium-chain triglycerides, which are a type of fatty acid that can be found in coconut oil, palm kernel oil, and other natural sources. Lus Health Ingredients only sells MCTs that are 100% Palm-free (coconut based). Unlike long-chain triglycerides (LCTs), which are more common in our diets, MCTs are metabolized differently by the body. They can enter our blood directly, are quickly converted by our livers into ketones. As a result this can be used as a source of energy instead of glucose. In the market you will currently find two types of MCT oil. One type has 60% of caprylic acid (C8) and 40% of capric acid (C10), and another type is almost pure caprylic acid (The Lus Health product offers minimally 99%). Research shows that C8 is more ketogenic than C10, so you can imagine C8 is loved by the Keto Crowd!
MCT oil is a concentrated form of the goodness coconut oil is offering. It's a clear, tasteless liquid that can be added to smoothies, coffee, or other foods and drinks.
So why is MCT oil so popular among those following a keto diet? Here are just a few of the benefits it can offer:
But there is more to MCT oil than you may think, read further below!
While MCT oil is certainly popular among those following a keto diet, its benefits extend far beyond just weight loss and energy. Here are a few additional reasons to consider adding MCT oil to your supplement regimen:
So there you have it, MCT oil is a versatile product that can be used for different health areas. Lus Health Ingredients specializes in PalmFreeMCT™ oil, which we sell in bulk, in private label and in micro encapsulated format. If you want to find out more about MCT oil, get some studies, want a sample or a quote of our PalmfreeMCT™ oil, visit the webpage here or contact (L)us on info@lushealth.com
Several studies show the positive impacts that medium-chain triglycerides (MCT) can have on satiety and food intake with weight loss as a result. In the earlier days, when MCT was not as popular as is Today, these benefits were connected to the consumption of coconut oil. In what way do these ingredients have similar effects?
The aim of the study from Kinsella, R., Maher, T. and Clegg, M. E. (2017) was to examine the effect of MCT oil compared to coconut oil & control oil on food intake and satiety.
This randomised, single-blind, repeated measures study fed 28 healthy female and male participants (without restrained eating habits). They received three different isocaloric test breakfasts on three non-consecutive days with at least one day between tests. On the day prior to all three test days, participants avoided consumption of caffeine, alcohol and nicotine. Since this could increase their appetite the next day. In addition, unusual strenuous physical activity could not been done due to the same reason. The participants also had to fast from 9pm the night before (10-12 hours before testing).
Following this overnight fast, participants consumed a test breakfast smoothie containing 205 kcal of either (i) MCT oil (ii) coconut oil or (iii) vegetable oil (control). The lipid profile of these fats was as follows:
First, baseline measurements were taken. After that, participants had fifteen minutes to consume the test breakfast. 180 minutes after consumption of the breakfast, the participants recorded their ratings of appetite on visual analogue scales. They could also eat a variety of personally preselected sandwiches (as many as they wanted). Each sandwich type had the same energy content.
The energy and macronutrient intake from the different participants was measured with one-hundred-millimetre continuous line visual analogue scales (VAS). Participants completed the VAS before and after consumption of the test breakfast. This was repeated every 30 minutes for the following 3 hours until they received the preselected sandwiches. The final VAS was completed after this lunch.
In conclusion, the results show a significant difference in energy and macronutrient intake at the "sandwich meal" between the three oils. MCT oil had the biggest impact on reduced food intake compared to the coconut and control oil. Moreover, differences in food intake throughout the day were found for energy and fat. The control oil even increased food intake compared to the MCT and coconut. The MCT oil, on the opposite, increased fullness over the three hours after breakfast compared to the control and coconut oils. See the results of this study in the graphic below.
The results of this study confirm that there is a significant difference between MCT and coconut oil in such a way that coconut oil cannot be promoted as having the same effects as MCT oil on food intake and satiety. The MCT oil that was used during this study did not consist purely of Capric (C10) or Caprylic Acid (C8). Further research would be interesting with MCT oil that consists of pure Caprylic Acid or a combination of both. In addition, to repeat this research with obese or overweight individuals.
Interested in more research around MCT oil? Read more about our PalmFreeMCT™ Oil or get in touch with us! Does a product which helps with improved satiety and reduced food intake sound like music to your ears? Our Ketosene® Green may be exactly what you are looking for!
Proudly launching Veganergy product line, a label claim friendly MCT powder that fits in many application that desire MCT without the bad stuff! Veganergy is a powder with a 70% MCT oil load and only acacia gum as the other ingredient. It is produced with PalmFree MCT's and comes standardly in two versions (Pure C8 & C8C10 6040). The product is made in Europe, in an Infant formula grade factory, using the latest technology to create high fat powder with Free Flowing capabilities. With our strict control limits on microbiology & contaminants Veganergy makes a safe-to-use ingredient for all your applications.
MCT's are best known as energy givers. These triglycerides made from coconut fatty acids are rapidly converted in our bodies to ketones. Ketones form glucose-alternative that give our body & brain easy access to energy without the negatives that come with carbohydrates. Just 15g of our product will get the body in nutritional ketosis within an hour, lasting another 3 hours. Burn fat the smart way !
Our powder is fully vegan, contains no carbs but only fat & (acacia) fibers that have no impact on the glycemic index. Most dairy based powders we know are made with maltodextrin (and even glucose syrup &silicon dioxide) and create, what we believe, is an unwanted glycemic response.
In 2019, a substantial amount of new papers came out, we counted over 50 with a relatively new research area getting lots of attention!
Brain was the main research area of 2019
When we say brain we mean three different areas: cognition, depression and stroke (or neuroprotection). Researchers showed that mood could improve within 8 weeks, that memory may improve and fully reviewed the current science on neuroprotection.
A short overview:
Roughly 20 scientific papers are available free in PDF format, which you can find below
Just 6 months ago most of us had never heard of it. Some fad from the USA?
Ketogenic? Ketosis? What?
But over the summer, Europe learned about athletes taking ketones and winning races.
About people losing fat without muscle mass.
About it actually working??!!
So what is it?
The ketogenic diet is old. Older than most of us reading this. Likely.
1920's when was it was first used to treat children with Epilepsy. In our sugar crazed society almost none of us have gotten any healthier over the last three decades. Obesity, Diabetes type 2, Heart disease. The rise seems unstoppable. Until a few smart people got this diet "off the shelf" and lost serious weight over a short periods.
How does it work
It works in several stages. You start eating a lot of fat, al little protein and almost no carbs. By doing so you deplete all your sugar & glycogen, making the body switch to an alternative fuel source, which is fat. Your liver will make ketones from the fat, hence the name ketogenic diet. Your mitochondria will use the ketones to make energy from. And more efficient than from glucose. Oops sorry glucose....you have been my friend for so long!
The best thing .. when done right.. you will be burning your body fat. The fat that you wanted to get rid of all these years! and no not only that...More energy, sharper mindset. Type 2 diabetics have cured themselves. Too good to be true right? too Difficult?
PERHAPS
But as an ingredient supplier, as people who have actually put this diet to the test PERSONALLY, we can say we are believers and the amount of people following it is increasing rapidly.
This gives opportunities in products, like oils (MCT oil e.g.), High fat Foods & snacks, Diet shakes, Pre-work energy boosters. you name it. We have some ideas, how about you?
In the next year you will have to decide on the European Keto market:
Are you in or out?
In February 2019, Registered Keto Dietitian Lotte from Myndfuel and myself met, in the new-fashioned way, on Linkedin. Where I used to believe that connecting on that digital platform was something AFTER MEETING OFFLINE, this belief has slowly changed over the last years. Now, I see it as a great way to meet like-minded people from around the world, and across all sectors of business.
Shortly after our Linkedin encounter, we met offline and almost immediately started brainstorming about what we could do together. When we, as Lus Health Ingredients, decided to sponsor the first European Keto-Live conference in Switzerland mid-June 2019, one extra ticket for Lotte was quickly arranged. Today, a few weeks before combining our forces and attending the keto conference, we write our first blog on MCT oil and its health benefits since this is the product we will bring along.
This article covers what MCT oil is, how your body digests it and how it plays a role in improving your health on a ketogenic lifestyle from a Dietitian’s perspective.
MCT oil consists of two main fatty acids, namely Caprylic (C8) and Capric (C10). The product is basically a concentrated version of Coconut oil OR Palm Kernel oil. The final product of these inputs, MCT oil, is similar in terms of the health benefits. For (L)us, however, it is clear that Coconut is the only way to go and the better more sustainable alternative to Palm based on the origin of their ingredients in general.
There are multiple versions of MCT oil, with different ratios of C8 and C10, commercially available. The most common ratio is 60:40 (C8:C10), there is 70:30 and a Pure C8. If needed any ratio is possible, but this is what is commonly offered in the market. The individual fatty acids do have different effects on our body, more about that at a later stage in another article.
Long chain fatty acids, LCTs, (think of olive oil, fish oil, sunflower, etc) and MCTs follow similar routes in one of the first stages of our digestive tract. It starts with lipase action that disconnect the Sn1,3 fatty acids from the glycerol backbone, ending up with two free fatty acids and a 2-acylglycerol. This already starts in the stomach but takes mostly place in the gut. The body will then release bile salts to effectively emulsify the free fatty acids and 2-acylglycerol, ready for absorption. Migrating through the microvilli, the components are now circulating in the enterocyte. This is where things start to get interesting.
LC fatty acids are now re-esterified into the form of triglycerides and will be synthesized into lipoproteins called Chylomicrons. These will then be deposited into the Lymph system. A long route towards getting to the liver.
MC fatty acids, however, are not re-esterified. They maintain their form as free fatty acids. Because of their small size, they can directly enter the bloodstream and your liver can quickly break these down into an instant source of energy, called ketones. See it as LCTs taking a detour and MCT taking the highway.
Among advocates of the keto diet, it is now a well-known fact that MCTs play an important role. Especially when it comes to a goal as weight loss, the use of MCTs shows great results. Compared to LCT that naturally occur in fatty products such as grass-fed butter and olive oil, MCT leads to a greater energy expenditure. As a result, MCT consumption may lead to increased fat loss and improved body weight (1). In addition, it has been shown that MCT oil increases the release of the 2 hormones that promote the feeling of feeling satisfied, namely peptide YY and leptin (2). Even compared to regular coconut oil, taking 2 tablespoons of MCT oil for breakfast leads to increased fullness (3). This discovery has probably also to do with a lower rise of triglycerides and glucose when consuming MCTs instead of coconut oil. Lastly, your body can directly convert MCTs into energy as ketones due to the shorter chains, preventing fat storage. These ketones are especially a great instant energy fuel for your brain. In summary, all the above-mentioned points show that MCT oil has great beneficial properties for people who are overweight.
With these promising health benefits, it is important to implement the consumption of MCT oil into your diet the right way. MCTs are successfully converted into energy, given the conditions that daily carb-intake is low (<50 grams) and the oil being consumed separately from a meal. The key of implementing MCT in your diet is starting with a small amount, since your body is not used to digesting it at first. Start with adding 1 teaspoon a day to your coffee, 2 teaspoons after 3 days and 1 tablespoon after one week and slowly build up further till 2 tablespoons. When you are trying to lose weight, it is inevitable to consume MCT oil as a part of your total daily fat intake and not as an addition to it. The bottom line of losing weight is to burn more kilocalories than you take in.
Since the popularity of a keto lifestyle has risen tremendously over the last few years, there are also more MCT products available and arriving on the market. For both individuals as well as for health professionals, it may be a challenge to find out which MCT product(s) meet(s) the high-quality standards. To make it easier for you, the characteristics of a high-quality MCT oil are: non-GMO, PalmFree and so sustainable derived MCT from 100% coconuts. So do keep this in mind, since there are also a lot of misleading products on the market such as MCT made from unsustainable palm kernel oil or products that don’t show the ratio of type of MCT.
The bottom line is that MCT oil can be very beneficial to your health for different reasons, provided that you invest in a product that meets the high-quality standards.
Will we see you there?
Those who know us, know that we love to understand the science behind our products. So of course we are in full support of the scientific efforts being made around the world to understand the benefits of the Ketogenic diet.
This is why we decided to become a proud SPONSOR for the upcoming Keto-live conference
A fantastic event from Monday June 10th till Friday June 14th, filled with the latest science, chances to meet the world top scientists, eat Keto in a historic Hotel in a stunning environment. We will be there with a small team to meet you, present our range of MCT oil products and have fun. As a sponsor we have been offered discount tickets for all our partners, customers and friends, so they too can be part of this epic event. if you want to join, than please click the link below:
Want to know more about Coconot based MCT oil from LUS? Check out our product here.
Not many people know how effective palms are in converting CO2 to vegetation and oil. A palm plantation delivers 5000-9000 kg of oil per hectare. Eat that sunflower! (1000 kg). The problem with the palm plantations is that they are so profitable in their use (over the entire supply chain) that the demand for more plantations is growing. More plantations in a geographical region that has little open land, means cutting down rainforest, a fragile ecosystem providing huge diversity. Profit over Planet.
The oily fruit actually delivers two products. One is Palm oil, which is made from the fleshy part of the fruit. It finds is use in… well nearly every processed food product on the planet. Just ask the big multinational food players
The other product is Palm Kernel Oil. The kernel is around 1/3 of the total fruit, is dried, pressed and (hexane) extracted to give palm kernel oil. The palm kernel oil is very different from palm oil, as it contains a high amount of lauric acid, a favorite fatty acid in the production of soaps. The remaining non-lauric acid fraction contains medium chain triglycerides (MCT) and is popular in the Ketogenic diet.
The alternative is clear. Coconut oil is richer in MCT’s than Palm Kernel. Coconut plantation are more sustainable. The plantations can actively produce coconuts for more than 50 years and are actually local biodiversity areas, with many other bushes and plant growing on the same lot. If you want to reap the benefits of energy giving MCT’s, choose palm free. Choose Coconut based oil, every time.
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