What is MCT oil?
MCT stands for "medium-chain triglycerides". These fats consist of fatty acids composed of six to twelve carbon atoms. A distinction is made between different carbon lengths. The most important are caproic acid (C-6), caprylic acid (C-8), capric acid (C-10) and lauric acid (C-12). The "C" here stands for "carbon," and the number stands for the number of carbon atoms in the fatty acid. An MCT oil consists of a mixture of these fats with different compositions.
What MCT oil can do
To put it simply: Through the medium-chain fatty acids, our body is pretended to be in a state of fat burning. To get the necessary energy, carbohydrates are normally burned first. Only when these are used up does the body turn to fats for energy. That is why a low-carbohydrate diet is often practiced to use up fat reserves as quickly as possible. Through the intake of MCT oil, our body immediately uses the fat storage for energy production, even if not all carbohydrates have been used up yet.
In addition to better fat burning, it also provides a stronger feeling of satiety, since the so-called ketones - chemical compounds produced during fat burning - in the blood have a direct effect on the satiety center in the brain. In addition, medium-chain fatty acids are more water-soluble and thus reach the liver fairly quickly, where they can then be used for energy production.
Why C-8 now?
Well, the four fatty acids mentioned above differ not only in length, but also in their efficiency in terms of the benefits mentioned above. And caprylic acid (C-8) is simply the best in this respect, followed by C-10. That's why we at KoRo have recently started offering not only the regular MCT oil, which is a mixture of C-8 and C-10, but also a pure C-8 MCT oil with 100% C-8 content.
The right use
Surely some have heard of the so-called Bulletproof Coffee: some coffee, butter, (C-8) MCT oil and you're done (By the way, you can find more about Bulletproof Coffee here). The effect of the coffee is further complemented by the MCT oil, keeps you full longer in the morning and increases your performance at the same time. By the way, for the beginning a dose of one teaspoon a day is enough. Depending on the goal and diet, the amount can also be varied slightly. You just have to try out which amount is best for you. However, it should not be more than three tablespoons a day.
Since it is tasteless, you can actually mix it in almost everywhere. Just make sure that it is used exclusively to enhance dishes and not for baking or frying. This is because the high temperatures destroy the structure of the oil and thus its mode of action.
Caution when buying
As already mentioned, there are major differences between MCT oils. On the one hand, pay attention to the composition of the fatty acids. In general, the greater the C-8 content, the better. On the other hand, you can choose between MCT oil based on coconut oil and on palm oil. However, we strongly advise to avoid palm oil based oils in order not to support the unnecessary deforestation of the rainforest. In the retail trade the oil is currently still difficult to find, but on the Internet it is all the easier. Currently we offer two varieties: The MCT oil, which consists mostly (90%) of C-8 and C-10 and a pure C-8 MCT oil. By the way, both oils are 100% derived from coconut oil.
