That said, further studies are needed to determine their ability to aid weight loss ( 3). The brain always prefers to use glucose as fuel in place of ketones.īecause the calories contained in MCTs are more efficiently turned into energy and used by the body, they’re less likely to be stored as fat. Please note: Ketones are only made when the body has a shortage of carbohydrates, for instance, if you’re on the keto diet. This provides an alternative energy source for the brain, which ordinarily uses glucose for fuel ( 2). In contrast with regular fatty acids, ketones can cross from the blood to the brain. Ketones are substances produced when the liver breaks down large amounts of fat. Unlike longer-chain fatty acids, MCTs go straight to your liver, where they can be used as an instant energy source or turned into ketones. Given the shorter chain length of MCTs, they’re rapidly broken down and absorbed into the body. ![]() Medium-chain triglycerides are metabolized differently They include caproic acid (C6), caprylic acid (C8), capric acid (C10), and lauric acid (C12). Medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs) contain fatty acids that have a chain length of 6–12 carbon atoms. Many of the health effects described below do not apply to lauric acid. Some experts argue that C6, C8, and C10, which are referred to as the “capra fatty acids,” reflect the definition of MCTs more accurately than C12 (lauric acid) ( 1). The following are the main medium-chain fatty acids: In contrast, the medium-chain fatty acids in MCTs have 6–12 carbon atoms. Short-chain fatty acids have fewer than 6 carbon atoms. The majority of fat in your diet is made up of long-chain fatty acids, which contain 13–21 carbons. All triglycerides consist of a glycerol molecule and three fatty acids. Triglycerides are named after their chemical structure, specifically the length of their fatty acid chains. They’re either burned for energy or stored as body fat. Triglyceride is simply the technical term for fat. MCT oil is a supplement that contains a lot of these fats and is claimed to have many health benefits. ![]() They’re metabolized differently than the long-chain triglycerides (LCT) found in most other foods. ![]() Medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs) are fats found in foods like coconut oil.
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