How and Why to Implement MCT Oil into Diet

Health professionals are warming up to the unique benefits a healthy level of saturated fats can offer. Take coconut oil for example, everyone from the home to restaurant chefs are using it as a healthy source of fat for recipes and at-home remedies. But do you know what it is that makes coconut oil shine on the nutrition scene? The secret is the MCT oil (medium chain triglycerides) within the coconut oil. Think of MCT oil as the extremely concentrated form of coconut oil. The best of the best, super healthy saturated fat in a concentrated form, similar to Omega-3’s. How strong? About 6x as strong as ingesting plain coconut oil. Did you know that breast milk also contains MCT’s? Different than long chain triglycerides present in oils like safflower oil and olive oil. In this article I’m going to tell you why MCT oil is such a hit, how it can improve your health and how to implement it into your diet.

MCT oil Aids in Digestion

Medium Chain Triglycerides (MCT’s) are easily digested by the body because they are easily absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract into the bloodstream and don’t require bile salts for digestion. Therefore, for your body to get healthy and stay healthy, you need to be able to properly digest your food and absorb it into your cells. MCT oil puts little stress on the GI tract therefore making quick, healing energy readily available to you.

How MCT Oil Can Functionally Improve Your Health

1. Provides high levels of Caprylic Acid and Capric Acid

Caprylic acid and Capric acid are fatty acids found naturally in palm oil, coconut oil, and breast milk in both human and bovine. Because Caprylic and Capric acids contain strong antimicrobial and anti-fungal properties, use of these types of MCT oils for yeast infections like candidiasis and bacterial infections have shown a reduction in symptoms.

2. Contains Bioactive Essential Fatty Acids

Put simply, essential fatty acids are the bioactive components found in natural oils. We can only obtain EFA’s from the food we eat and are necessary for proper cell function and repair. Therefore implementing them into our diet is very important.

3. low-carb energy source

Replacing other fat sources with MCT oil as a staple in your diet can help you maintain your dieting goals as it is a low-carb energy source. Because of the way it is metabolized, MCT oil gives you quick energy like carbohydrates without being a sugar source that can ultimately affect insulin levels. MCT oil also creates the feeling of satiety for lasting fullness that can keep you from snacking between meals.

How to Implement MCT Oil Into Your Diet

You can eat MCT oil raw or cook with it. It does have a very low smoke temperature so be sure to start out on a medium-low heat.
It is recommended to start with ½ to 1 tablespoon for a serving and increasing from there as too much of any oil can cause a digestive upset. That being said, MCT oil can also come to the rescue of constipation and other digestive issues.
Take your dosage of MCT oil in the morning to boost energy and promote increased productivity.
MCT oil can be substituted for any fat source and used in various recipes. I like to add it to my protein shakes throughout the day or use it in homemade dressings for my vegetables.
You need fat to burn fat, so have a serving of MCT oil with dinner to help keep you full, help your body repair itself and burn fat while you sleep.
If you are a coffee drinker, try adding a serving of MCT oil to your coffee to give you a boost of energy right off the bat!

If you don’t dive headfirst into a bottle of MCT oil after reading this, stick with coconut oil. It will still give you amazing health benefits with that tropical flavor that’ll send you straight to a nutrition oasis. For more content like this, visit me @LaurenRaeLife on social media or at www.LaurenRaeLife.com.

Lauren Rae
Dallas Fitness and Nutrition Coach
laurenraelife.com