How To Use MCT Oil For Weight Loss

What is the best way to lose fat?Exercise. Cut out packaged and junk food. Eat smaller meals throughout the day. Health professionals recommend "mindful eating" as a way to lose weight.Atkins, Paleo, Keto, HCG, Mediterranean, Intermittent Fasting, Weight Watchers. These are the most popular diets that people read, see, or hear about online.Garcinia Cambogia is a popular diet supplement. Hydroxycut also has raspberry ketones and green coffee bean extract. These are just a few of the diet supplements (often dubious) that Americans buy every year.Then there is MCT oil. What category does it belong to? What is it exactly?Answering the first question: MCT oil could be placed in any of these categories. It is definitely a dietary supplement. It is highly recommended by many health and wellness professionals. Keto dieters use it often as an essential component of their weight loss regime.Second question: "What is MCT oil?" needs a deeper explanation.Learn more about MCT oil and how you can use it to lose weight.

MCT Oil: Where Did It Come From?

We will get to this. What we're asking is a completely different question: How did an oil that was relatively unknown become so popular?Some credit goes to medical researchers from the mid-20th century. Some of the credit goes to athletes, trainers, and dietitians from the late 20th century.Here is a quick look at the timeline.

• Experts first used medium-chain triglycerides in the mid-1900s as an alternative food source for epileptics suffering from certain types of seizures. They worked.
• MCTs were introduced to the sporting world in the 1980s. The MCTs were used to replace other types of oils or fats in the diet because they provided a quick energy boost needed for endurance sports.

Epilepsy...athletic endurance...weight loss. What is the common thread between these three?We need to know what MCTs do and how they work in the body before we can find it.

What's the connection between MCTs and weight loss?

MCTs in the Liver

The liver normally converts the carbohydrates from our diet into blood sugar (glucose). This is the fuel which normally powers our body and brain.What happens if the liver isn't able to produce glucose because the body does not have enough carbohydrates? Then things can get complicated.After all the stored glucose has been consumed, the body panics and enters a metabolic condition called ketosis.Ketone bodies or ketones are molecules that the liver produces as an alternative energy source. When glucose is not available, the body and brain will function fine with ketones.The story gets even more exciting.Once medium-chain fatty acid is consumed, it's sent directly to the liver. Guess what the liver produces as it breaks down MCTs. That's right, ketones.MCTs increase the amount available of ketones to the body during ketosis.Bingo! Now we can tie everything together.

Keto Diet and MCTs

Most people are on a ketogenic diet to lose weight. The keto diet works only when you consume so little carbohydrate that your body is forced to enter ketosis. The body is forced to switch from glucose to ketones at that point.What is the connection between this and losing weight?It's simple. The liver must burn stored body fat to produce ketones. This is the main cause of obesity. The progression is brilliant: Very few carbs...body goes into ketosis...body uses fat to produce ketones...weight reduction!What role do MCTs have if burning fat is the key to producing ketone?A big one. Anyone who follows a ketogenic diet knows they can lose weight only if they stay in ketosis. They are told repeatedly "Keep your carb intake low or you will be kicked out of ketosis!"When the liver converts MCTs to ketones, this process increases the amount available for energy. The more ketones a person has, the easier it will be to remain in ketosis.Consuming MCT oil is a way to keep the ketogenic diet going.

How to Use MCT Oil for Weight Loss

A single cup of Keto coffee contains the maximum recommended amount of saturated fat for a whole day, as well as nearly one-fifth a day's worth of calories. This is not harmful. It's not dangerous, just unhealthy.Nutritionally, two cups of espresso coffee contain too many calories and saturated fat grams.Coffee can be very filling. This leads many dieters not to eat the rest of their morning meal. They miss out on important nutrients that they would otherwise get from fruit, vegetables, and protein.Keto coffee is not the only option. You can add MCT oil to coffee or tea without butter or ghee.It is not necessary to consume coffee in order to use MCT oils.

MCT oil for weight loss: Other methods

MCT oil can also be added to smoothies. It won't change the taste because it is almost flavorless. Use only low-carbohydrate ingredients if you're following a ketogenic diet.Many keto dieters use MCT oil to make so-called fat bombs, small keto-friendly snacks which deliver both sweetness and fat in just a few mouthfuls.MCT oil can be added to salad dressings and sauces. It won't alter the taste, but you can use it to replace vegetable or olive oil for extra health benefits. MCT oil has a low smoking point and will burn quickly. Coconut oil is a better alternative.MCT oil can be used just like any other liquid supplement. It's fine to use it straight from the bottle. Start by taking a teaspoon and see how it affects you. (Pro tip: do not take MCT oil on an empty stomach.) Then, increase the amount to 1-2 tablespoons a day.What if you eat even more? Only consuming two times that amount per day has been linked to problems. This could lead to hormones being released that can make you hungry and even cause liver damage.Using MCT is simple. Does it help you lose weight and burn fat?

Evidence for MCT oil and fat loss

There is plenty of evidence that MCT oil can assist keto dieters to achieve and remain in ketosis and provide a "robust increase" in ketones.As long as dieters remain in ketosis, a strict ketogenic diet can result in rapid weight loss.It's also important to note that MCT oil is able to help users lose weight even if they are not following a ketogenic or low-carb diet.MCT Oil makes you feel satiated. This feeling can help people lose weight by preventing them from overeating. MCTs also appear to incite thermogenesis or heat production within the body, helping dieters burn fat and lose weight.In a related study, MCTs were shown to increase the body's metabolic rate in overweight men. This led to a reduction of body fat . MCTs appear to promote gut health. A healthy gut microbiome, however, is essential to weight loss.Finaly, MCTs rarely become fat and therefore don't "add the problem" to people trying to lose excess weight.MCT oil can be a valuable addition to any weight-loss program.