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

MCT Oil

(Medium-Chain Triglycerides)

Evidence: High
Possible Benefits: High
Safety: High

What is MCT oil?

MCT oil is a type of oil with a very high concentration of medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs). As a supplement, most people use it for aiding fat loss and improving brain function. This article is about the main benefits of MCT oil, its potential side effects, the best time to take it, and more.

What does MCT oil do for the body?

MCT oil contains a high amount of medium-chain triglycerides, which are a class of saturated fat composed of fatty acids containing 6-10 carbons.

Unlike most other fatty acids, MCTs are absorbed rapidly and transported to the liver, where they can convert into ketones and be used as a source of energy.

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

Increased energy – MCTs are metabolized rapidly after consumption and turned into ketone bodies that can be utilized as a source of energy.

Minor benefits

Fat loss – Medium-chain triglycerides can improve fat oxidation and the turning of fat into ketones. Additionally, when compared to consuming the same amount of calories from other types of dietary fat, MCT oil leads to significantly lower fat gain.
Increased metabolic rate – MCT oil can increase metabolism in the short term.
Improved insulin sensitivity – The oil may improve insulin sensitivity in diabetics and obese people. This effect seems secondary to fat loss.
Reduced LDL cholesterol – The reduction is not significant and may only apply to diabetics or people with insulin resistance.

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.

Diarrhea – This effect is experienced by many. It usually goes away as one gets adapted to taking MCT but in some cases, the laxative effect persists.
Weight gain – While MCT oil can be helpful for fat loss, it can also be detrimental as your body has to burn the oil before it gets to tap into its own fat storage.
Reduced HDL – This reduction is minor and not very relevant, assuming you stick to moderate doses and don’t get the majority of calories from medium-chain triglycerides.
Toxicity – While acute toxicity is extremely rare, taking high amounts of MCT oil could lead to chronic toxicity and cause some health problems. To prevent chronic toxicity, it is best to stay below 50 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 MCT oil?

You should probably avoid taking the supplement if you:

experience a severe adverse reaction after taking the oil
get diarrhea from the oil even after a week of consuming it daily
have genetics that make you utilize saturated fat or medium-chain triglycerides poorly
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 ketogenic diet
wish to lose fat but are not willing to fast or reduce your caloric intake

How much MCT oil should you take?

If you plan to take MCT oil as a supplement, anywhere from 5-20 grams appears to be the best daily dose for most people. This amount should provide most of the benefits without meaningful side effects.

Some people may benefit from doses higher than 20 grams. If you notice benefits from taking more, taking as much as 50 grams a day is likely safe.

The upper safety limit for MCT oil is not well-established. To stay on the safe side, don’t take more than 50 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 MCT oil

MCT oil is fat-soluble so make sure to take it with food to absorb it well.

While you could take the oil at night, it is much better to take it in the morning or at a time of the day when you wish to get more energy. MCT oil can worsen your sleep quality if you take it before bed.

Take the supplement at the time of the day when you need more physical or cognitive energy, such as before a workout or before doing deep work.

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

Where to buy MCT oil

Amazon is the best option for ordering MCT oil 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 oil 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.

While you could take the oil at night, it is much better to take it in the morning or at a time of the day when you wish to get more energy. MCT oil can worsen your sleep quality if you take it before bed.

MCT oil should not become harmful over time. Keep the supplement in a cold, dark, and dry place, and it should remain just as potent and safe for many months or years.

While toxicity is rare, too much MCT oil in the system can cause some health problems, such as diarrhea and long-term weight loss. It is best to stay below 50 grams a day to prevent these side effects.

The half-life of medium-chain triglycerides in the body is only about 11 minutes. MCTs should be processed in your body within one hour after consuming them.

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

Almost every MCT oil on the market is derived from coconut oil and is therefore vegan-friendly. If you buy MCT oil in a capsulated form, beware that the capsules often contain animal-based gelatin. Instead, find a brand that puts its products into cellulose capsules.

If you are fasting to lose weight, MCT oil should not break a fast unless you take a very high dose at once. If your main goal is to activate autophagy, it is likely best to stay away from MCT oil and other fat sources during 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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