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MCT
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Medium Chain Triglycerides (MCTs) are fats that are shorter in length than most normal dietary fats (Long Chain Triglycerides or LCTs). MCTs are found in coconut oil, palm kernel oil and butter.
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=MCT digestion and the Ketogenic Diet=
* Basis of the [[MCT Diet]]
* MCT is sometimes recommended to reduce elevated cholesterol levels while on the Ketogenic Diet<ref name="Kossoff-2011-1809"/>.
=Types of MCT=The 'medium chain' in 'medium chain triglycerides' refers to the length of the chain carbon atoms. Generally, chain lengths of 6 to 12 carbon atoms (C6 to C12) are considered 'medium'. The most common source of MCTs is in Coconut Oil, and typically pure MCT is refined from Coconut Oil. The mixture of oils in most MCT reflects that of Coconut Oil, which is:* C6: 1-2%* C8: 65-76%* C10: 25-35%* C12: 1-2%. MCT oils are fully saturated. ==Sources of MCT==
The composition of common sources of MCTs is shown below:
{| class="wikitable"
!
! colspan="2"| Coconut Oil<ref name="O'Brien2010"/>! colspan="2"| Palm Kernel Oil<ref name="O'Brien2010"/>
! Butter<ref name="usda"/>
|-
| 8.3
|}
=MCT and Weight Gain=
An animal study has shown that overfeeding that includes large quantities of MCT produced 20% less weight gain than the same level of overfeeding with LCT (Overfeeding with medium-chain triglyceride diet results in diminished deposition of fat). The rats were fed a diet of 50% of calories as fat, with the MCT diet providing 45% of calories from MCT. The rats had similar levels of activity and insulin.
MCT frequently causes digestive problems, including nausea, vomiting, stomach cramps and diarrhea. There may be several factors that influence the level of digestive distress<ref name="WolinskyDriskell2004"/>:
* '''Quantity'''. Higher quantities of MCT are more likely to cause digestive distress. One study found that 50g of MCT caused all subjects digestive problems, but 30g only caused problems in 10% of subjects.
* '''Adaptation'''. There is adaptation that occurs with consumption of MCT over several days. Two studies showed a reduction in digestive distress over time; in one, subjects were given 34g/day for 7 days and the other, 60g/day for 14 days. By the end the subjects' distress had reduced or disappeared. * '''Other Foods'''. Consuming MCT with other foods reduces the digestive distress.
Personally, I found that even after weeks of taking MCT, I could not consume it on its own without incurring dramatic digestive problems. However, mixing MCT with other things caused no issues.
'''Calories in MCT'''
MCT has is often considered to have a slightly lower calorie density (8.2 Calories/gram) compared with LCT (9.1 Calories/gram).
MCT and Ketosis
MCT and Alzheimer's
There is evidence that MCT can help reduce peoples' memory impairment without carbohydrate restriction<ref name="RegerHenderson2004"/>. A study using elderly dogs showed a long lasting improvement in cognitive ability with MCT supplementation<ref name="PanLarson2010"/>. There are other anecdotal reports of MCT helping with Alzheimer's symptoms<ref name="www.tampabay.com"/>.
{{KetoSeeAlso}}
=References=
<references>
<ref name="www.tampabay.com">Doctor says an oil lessened Alzheimer's effects on her husband, http://www.tampabay.com/news/aging/doctor-says-an-oil-lessened-alzheimers-effects-on-her-husband/879333, Accessed on 20 October 2013</ref>