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Medium-chain triglycerides(MCTs) are a type of fat that offers a wide range of health benefits. These triglycerides, naturally present in coconut oil and palm kernel oil, are also marketed as dietary supplements.
MCTs have a chemical structure that allows them to be easily digested by the body. When most fats are broken down in the intestine, they are reprocessed into a particular form that can be carried in the blood. However, these MCTs are absorbed intact and then taken to the liver, from where they are used directly as an energy source. They are processed like carbs in this way.
In our days, fats are not known as functional, and this is mainly due to the fact that they are digested and available as an energy source in a slow process. The body cannot use it as energy until 3-4 hours after ingestion. There is an exception that confirms the rule, and in this case, the exception is medium chain triglycerides.
There are many methods of losing weight and only a few of them are effective. While some lead to some form of weight loss, there is no guarantee that you will maintain your lean weight. One of the best and most unsustainable methods of losing weight is dieting.
It takes patience and persistence to lose weight permanently and healthfully. You have to combine exercise and dieting to lose weight in the long-term. It is, therefore important to take a nutrient-rich diet, exercise more, and stop counting calories and instead adopt lasting healthy habits.
What is MCT Oil?
By their nature, MCTs are made of medium chain fatty acids. The word medium is used as a reference to how long their chemical structure is. The chemical composition of all fats is in the form of hydrogen and carbon strings. Medium chain fats thus lie in between the short-chain and long-chain in regard to the number of carbon molecules. MCTs include the following:
•Caproic acid
•Capric acid
•Caprylic acid
What Are The Sources Of MCT Oil For Weight Loss?
Coconut oil is one of the best sources of MCT oil. This oil has up to 60 percent of its content as medium chain triglycerides. Other natural sources of MCT oil include butter, cheese, palm oil, full-fat yogurt and whole milk. If you want to take MCT as a dietary supplement or use it for cooking, you can find it in purified form. You shouldn’t take more than 85 milligrams a day as a supplement.
Medium Chain Triglycerides Benefits
Supporting digestion and absorption of nutrients
MCT oil helps balance gut microbiota, which positively affects digestion. It also has an impact on energy expenditure and how easily your body can absorb minerals and vitamins you eat in food. MCT oil has the ability to kill bacteria and viruses that cause numerous digestive issues. It can help you get rid of pathogens that cause stomach-aches, food poisoning, diarrhea, constipation, and candida.
Aiding weight loss and maintenance
MCT oil has proven to be very effective when used to aid fat burning and weight loss. They work by increasing satiety and enhancing metabolic rates. But that doesn’t mean that eating a lot of MCT oil on a daily basis will help you lose weight. A number of research studies have shown that taking MCT oil can help you lose weight more than LCT oils.
When taken as part of your diet, MCT oil leads to increased fat oxidation and thermogenesis. It works by helping the body to produce ketones which are as beneficial as a ketogenic diet without reducing your carbohydrate intake. Apart from rapidly heating the body, MCT is quickly utilized by the body to provide energy.
MCTs can provide an alternative to the popular carbohydrate drinks commonly used among athletes. Like other fats, they provide more energy per ounce than carbs, but unlike regular fats, this energy can be released quickly. There have been several double-blind trials using MCTs to improve the performance of high intensity or endurance exercises, but results from these trials seem to be inconsistent. However, these studies failed to provide reliable results because none of these studies enrolled enough participants.
Helping enhance heart health
MCT oil has been found to effectively prevent the onset of metabolic syndrome which includes conditions such as hypertension, dyslipidemia, abdominal obesity, and low glucose levels. It helps reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease by making impossible for you to become obese. If anything, MCT oil has anti-inflammatory properties, easy to digest, makes you feel fuller, and provides energy to the body.
Improving mood and energy levels
Did you know that your brain is largely made of fatty acids? To ensure you have a steady supply of fats in your diet, you need to start taking more MCT oil. After all, they are easy to digest, utilize, and provide protection.
In some research studies, the oil has been found to be effective in improving memory by fighting Alzheimer’s disease in older individuals. If fuels your brain and enhances mineral and vitamin absorption to help you feel positive, energetic, and clearheaded. By improving your gut health, MCT oil, by extension helps enhance the health of your brain.
Antifungal, antibacterial, and antiviral properties
MCT oil happens to be a natural antibiotic that brings about a balance between the good and bad bacteria in the gut. That is good news given the increasing rates of antibiotic resistance. MCT oil is known to eliminate rid of bacteria that cause sinus infections, pneumonia, meningitis, pelvic inflammatory disease, gonorrhea, ulcers, and candida. The oil is able to get rid of the bad bacteria even as it maintains the good bacteria. That way, you are able to keep your gut as healthy as it needs to be.
Do not get damaged by high-heat cooking
It takes very high temperatures for MCT oil to turn into smoke. It, therefore, acts as a very good cooking oil especially for preparing grilled food, stir-fries, sautés, and baked food.
Is MCT Oil Safe as A Weight Loss Remedy?
MCT oil is generally safe for human consumption. In fact, a number of research studies have shown that the oil can be included in a weight loss diet without causing known negative effects. It is not like the saturated fats which can cause type II diabetes, heart disease, and stroke. You can, therefore, say that MCT oil is completely safe for consumption.
Conclusion
As much as it may not be a wonder weight-loss pill, MCT oil can help you get over your obesity. You can start by incorporating MCT oil in your diet on an experimental basis. If you want, take the oil in terms of the whole foods in which they are contained. That way, you would not have to incorporate supplements into your diet. If you find that this is working for you, stick to it. That could just be what the doctor ordered for to help you lose weight.
