Around 65% of coconut oil is comprised of medium chain triglycerides (MCTs) or fatty acids. These fatty acids are denoted by the number of carbon molecules in a chain from 6-12. Coconut oil is derived from the white flesh of mature coconuts. Many neurohackers use coconut oil’s powerful nootropic properties to help the absorption of any fat-soluble supplements.
You have probably hard whispers down the grocery store aisles and at the gym about MCT oil- metabolism-revving, fat-burning superfood. Coconut oil has always been typified as a superfood since it first came into existence. It is high in natural and healthy fats that could not only convert bad cholesterol into the good but also makes your skin baby soft. And of course, it could help you lose weight. However, we think that coconut oil got its good repo in the first place because it contains MCTs.
What exactly is MCT oil?
Medium chain triglyceride oil is a manmade saturated fatty acid made in the laboratory by combining MCTs from coconut oil.
Medium chain triglycerides contain between 6-12 carbon chains:
- C6 – Caproic Acid
- C8 – Caprylic Acid
- C10 – Capric Acid
- C12 – Lauric Acid
These fatty acids are known to have extraordinary health benefits.
What Makes MCT Oils So Special?
Yes Wellness explains all types of fatty acids are made up of strings of connected carbon and hydrogen. And what makes Medium chain triglycerides a top source of essential healthy fats is that they can be digested easily and are sent directly to the liver, where they undergo thermogenic effect gaining the ability to positively change our metabolism. This is one of the reasons why people are turning their heads towards MCTs. These fatty acids are burned by the body for fuel or energy rather than being stored as fat.
MCTs, as compared to longer-chain fats, are absorbed more easily as the body didn’t have to work hard for breaking apart the carbon bonds. MCTs permeate our cell membranes easily and hence, there is no necessity of using special enzymes for our body to utilize them.
As medium chain triglycerides are saturated fats, they reduce the risk of low-fat diets and they are supportive of our digestive system, especially as they have anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, and anti-virus properties. In addition, they are a great source of antioxidants, offering extensive inflammatory benefits.
Health and Fitness Benefits of Coconut and MCTs
- MCTs can help you maintain a healthy weight as it tricks the brain to make you feel full
- MCTs specifically reduces stored fat from the body, ultimately raising the metabolic function of the body
- Clears chemical fog from the brain, allowing us to think more clearly and stay focused
- Gives energy
- Aids in better digestion
- As MCTs largely affects the brain, it improves mood
- MCTs have shown positive results in balancing the hormone levels in our body
- MCTs can easily absorb fat-soluble nutrients from various foods.
- It fights viruses and other bacterial infections
How Medium chain triglycerides optimize human Brain?
MCT Oil Aids
Anti-Stress:
Several pieces of research have shown that MCTs found in coconut oil helps in increasing the antioxidant levels in the brain. This results in an increase in the serotonin level in the brain that ultimately improves mood and provides an anti-stress effect.
Brain Energy:
The Medium chain triglycerides in coconut easily bypass through our normal digestive system and go straight into our liver. Here, they are converted into ketones that are carried throughout the body including our brain. These ketones are used in the citric acid cycle for producing Adenosine Triphosphate (ATP). ATP is responsible for boosting our mitochondria that ultimately improves mood, memory, and alertness.