TTA: Benefits, Side Effects, Best Time to Take It & More

TTA

(Tetradecyl Thioacetic Acid)

Evidence: Low
Possible Benefits: High
Safety: High

What is TTA?

Tetradecyl thioacetic acid, also known as TTA, is a non-essential type of omega-3 fatty acid. As a supplement, most people use it for fat loss. This article is about the main benefits of TTA, its potential side effects, the best time to take it, and more.

What does TTA do for the body?

Since TTA is a non-essential fatty acid, you don’t need to consume it to survive. However, this fatty acid still serves some important functions in the body.

Tetradecyl thioacetic acid cannot be metabolized for energy. It may, however, be able to burn fat from other sources, leading to fat loss and many possible benefits associated with fat loss.

Possible benefits

The benefits mentioned below are dose-dependent. Generally, the higher the dose, the more pronounced the effects are. However, they do reach a plateau at a certain point. We will discuss the best dosing protocol later in this article.

Major benefits

Reduced triglycerides – A standard dose of TTA was able to reduce triglycerides by about 15% in one trial. Other studies show similar promise but more research is needed to fully confirm this effect.
Improved cholesterol levels – TTA supplementation can reduce LDL and increase HDL cholesterol levels. Total cholesterol is slightly reduced in those taking the fatty acid.

Minor benefits

Fat oxidation – While TTA doesn’t notably influence total weight, it can improve fat oxidation to at least some degree.

Possible side effects

These side effects are dose-dependent. The risk for them increases (often linearly but sometimes exponentially) as you increase the dose. Some of the side effects only apply to very high doses.

Nausea
Diarrhea
Oxidation – Tetradecyl thioacetic acid is prone to oxidation and can become a pro-oxidant that can cause more harm than good in the body.
Toxicity – While acute toxicity is extremely rare, taking high amounts of tetradecyl thioacetic acid could lead to chronic toxicity and cause some health problems. To prevent chronic toxicity, it is best to stay below 2 grams a day unless you have a great reason to take more.
Contamination – Contaminated supplements are uncommon in the USA and other well-regulated countries. However, if you wish to buy products from China, India, or other countries without strict regulations, beware that the supplements may be contaminated. Either way, you need to choose the brand you order from wisely. It is highly recommended to check the certificates or read through some reviews for the specific product before you buy it. The FDA (Food and Drug Administration) has the power to regulate dietary supplements but can only do so after they have been on the market for a while. That’s because supplement companies are not obligated to announce to the FDA when releasing a new product on the market. The FDA has to discover the product and test it for potential impurities, which can take a lot of time. During that time, the supplement can be sold on the market even if it’s impure. Also, supplement companies can change their manufacturers without announcing it to the FDA.

Who should not take TTA?

You should probably avoid taking the supplement if you:

experience a severe adverse reaction after taking the fatty acid
are a healthy individual with good cholesterol and triglyceride levels
are on a tight supplement budget (since there are more cost-effective supplements on the market for most people)

Who will benefit the most?

You should consider taking the supplement if you:

are on a very low-fat diet
have unhealthy triglyceride or cholesterol levels
wish to maximize fat loss

How much TTA should you take?

If you plan to take TTA as a supplement, 1 gram appears to be the best daily dose for most people. This amount should provide most of the benefits without meaningful side effects.

The upper safety limit for TTA is not well-established. To stay on the safe side, don’t take more than 2 grams daily unless you have a great reason to do so. Higher amounts may cause problems if you take the supplement for a prolonged period.

Best time to take TTA

Tetradecyl thioacetic acid is fat-soluble so make sure to take it with food to absorb it well.

Whether you take the supplement in the morning or the evening doesn’t matter much.

Unless it feels too impractical, spread the daily dose into 2+ smaller doses throughout the day.

Where to buy TTA

Amazon is the best option for ordering TTA supplements in most countries. They offer some very affordable products backed by many positive reviews. Also, you can choose from a wide range of brands without having to search through other markets on the internet.

Beware some brands display the dosage per serving instead of per pill or capsule. Therefore, you may accidentally buy something less potent than you intended. Do not fall for this marketing trick.

FAQ

You can take the fatty acid daily and do not need to cycle it. However, it is certainly not a problem if you don’t take it every day. Not taking the supplement every once in a while could lead to better absorption. That is yet to be proven or disproven.

All of these options are fine. The two most important things to consider are the price and dosing. Powders are almost always the cheapest form. However, you may need a highly accurate scale to dose them correctly (preferably 0.001g). You can get one for as little as $20 from Amazon. Dosing the powders also takes some time that can add up over months or years. The disadvantage of capsules is that they often contain bovine gelatin, which rarely comes from an ethical source.

Yes. Most fatty acids, including tetradecyl thioacetic acid, absorb and digest well if you take them before falling asleep. The supplement should not impact sleep quality in any significant way.

This fatty acid can oxidize and become harmful if kept in bad conditions. Keep the supplement in a cold, dark, and dry place, and it should remain just as potent for many months.

While toxicity is rare, too much tetradecyl thioacetic acid in the system can cause some health problems, often related to oxidation or causing an imbalance in fatty acids. It is best to stay below 2 grams a day to prevent these side effects.

This fatty acid gets metabolized very fast after consuming it. The half-life of TTA in rats is about 2.2 hours. This fatty acid should be processed in your body within a few hours after consuming it.

In the long term, you need to take the supplement for about 2-4 weeks to begin noticing the benefits.

You can easily find vegan-friendly TTA supplements but always check the label to be sure. If you buy tetradecyl thioacetic acid in a capsulated form, beware that the capsules often contain animal-based gelatin. Instead, find a brand that puts its products into cellulose capsules.

Tetradecyl thioacetic acid is fat-soluble, so you need to take it with food to absorb it well.

Tetradecyl thioacetic acid should not break a fast unless you take a very high dose at once. If you practice time-restricted eating, take this fatty acid during your eating window to make sure it absorbs well and doesn’t break your fast.

References

Most of the information provided in this guide is supported by scientific research that can be found and verified in the PubMed medical library. We highly encourage you to use the library to verify anything said in this article. We excluded from consideration studies that are either confounded or have a high conflict of interest.

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