MCT Oil & Coconut Oil

•RCT evidence— Meta-analyses on weight loss; coconut/LDL well-established

MCT oil

Medium-chain triglycerides (C8 caprylic, C10 capric) bypass the intestinal lipoprotein assembly and go straight to portal circulation → liver, where they are preferentially β-oxidised and converted to ketones.

Uses

• Weight loss adjunct: modest effect; satiety contribution.
• Cognitive support in mild AD: some trials show acute cognitive improvement on MCT in MCI/mild AD (Henderson 2009 and follow-ups).
• Epilepsy (ketogenic): MCT-modified Atkins variants improve tolerability.
• Athletic / ketogenic dieting: rapid ketone substrate.

Cautions

• GI side effects (cramps, diarrhoea) at higher doses, especially C8-dominant.
• Calorie-dense (~120 kcal/tbsp).
• Don’t cook with at high heat (low smoke point).

Coconut oil

Coconut oil is ~50% lauric acid (C12), ~15% C8/C10, the rest mostly other saturated fatty acids. It behaves clinically more like saturated fat than like pure MCT:

• Raises LDL: head-to-head trials show LDL elevation similar to other saturated fats (butter, palm oil).
• Marketed claims of "healthy MCT" mostly conflate C12 with shorter MCTs — biologically C12 doesn’t share their pharmacokinetics.

Practical

• For cooking that needs solid fat: use sparingly like any saturated fat.
• For ketone generation or weight-loss adjunct: use refined MCT oil (C8 or C8+C10), not coconut oil.

Related entries

Ketogenic diet, ApoB, Alzheimer's disease.