Medium-chain triglycerides

Definition

Medium-chain triglycerides are a type of fat containing saturated, medium-chain fatty acids.

Health considerations

Animal studies in which rats were overfed with medium-chain (MCT) or long-chain (LCT) triglycerides showed significantly less body fat accumulation in the MCT diet. Animal studies have also shown improved cardiovascular endurance with long term use of MCTs in the diet. In humans, MCT consumption has been seen to lead to a greater increase in metabolic rate, a decrease in body fat, and greater satiety when substituted for LCT consumption.

Keep in mind

Though MCTs have been seen to facilitate weight loss, excess consumption of oils contributes a large amount of calories which may hinder efforts.

May be found in

Dairy, palm kernel oil, coconut oil

References

The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition
The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 2
The Journal of Nutrition
Obesity Research
Metabolism-Clinical and Experimental
The Journal of nutrition

Aternative Spellings and Names

MCTs